Tyson Shops 2,000-Head Pasco Beef Plant as Cattle Shortages and Washington Costs Bite
Updated
Updated · seattlered.com · Aug 23
Tyson Shops 2,000-Head Pasco Beef Plant as Cattle Shortages and Washington Costs Bite
3 articles · Updated · seattlered.com · Aug 23
Summary
Tyson is seeking a buyer for its Pasco-area beef plant, the Pacific Northwest’s largest beef processor, after citing one of the worst U.S. cattle shortages in history and refocusing on plants in Nebraska, Kansas and Texas.
The Wallula facility processes about 2,000 head a day and most fed cattle in the Northwest, so a failed sale could cut regional slaughter capacity roughly in half and leave AgriBeef’s Toppenish plant as the only large operation.
Washington farm groups say state policy worsened the pressure, pointing to labor, tax and compliance costs; USDA data shows the state ranked last in farm profitability, with producers losing nearly $400 million in 2024.
Around 1,400 people work at the plant, the second-largest employer in Walla Walla County, and ranchers warn shipping cattle to the Plains would shrink local feedyard returns and raise consumer beef prices.