News Article –
Jerome, Idaho – The Agri Beef Co. today announced plans for True West Beef, a new state-of-the-art beef processing plant to be built in Idaho’s Magic Valley.
Recent events have highlighted longstanding challenges in the U.S. meat packing sector as plants struggled with capacity constraints during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new True West Beef processing plant will address crucial infrastructure needs in Idaho and across the region. The new plant is a partnership between Agri Beef Co. and leading cattle ranchers and feeders from around the West. Agri Beef Co. is a family-owned company with an international reputation for excellence from ranch to table.
“We are so proud Agri Beef chose Idaho as home for this vital new plant. The U.S. needs more meat processors of all sizes,” said Celia Gould, Idaho Department of Agriculture Director. “True West Beef’s investment will have a measurable impact for consumers, producers and communities throughout Idaho.”
The new plant is designed as an alternative model in the beef processing segment where large facilities have come to dominate the industry. It will be smaller, flexible in scale, and unique in structure, with livestock producers directly involved in equity ownership.
“True West Beef will be a great neighbor, community-involved and environmentally-friendly. We want Jerome to be proud,” added Jay Theiler, EVP Strategy and Public Relations at Agri Beef.
True West Beef is expected to create at least 370 new jobs and process approximately 500 head per day.
Dairy and beef are Idaho’s top agricultural sectors and together account for half of all farm gate receipts in the state. When forage, grain and other allied industries are calculated, the livestock sector accounts for 75 percent of Idaho agriculture’s gross receipts.
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