Tyson Foods Says It Will Sell Closed Beef Plants to Any Buyer

Tyson Foods, one of the biggest meat companies in the United States, is pushing back against a claim made by a top government official. The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, said Tyson promised to sell its recently closed beef plants only to American-owned companies. Tyson quickly responded and said that is not true — it will sell the plants to any buyer, whether they are from the U.S. or another country. The dispute became public on Tuesday, September 1, at a large farm event in Boone, Iowa.

Secretary Rollins spoke at the annual Farm Progress Show, a big outdoor event where farmers and agriculture leaders gather each year. She told reporters that she had spoken with Tyson's CEO, Donnie King, about the closed plants. According to Rollins, King told her that when the plants were sold, they would go to an American-owned company or to farming cooperatives. A cooperative is a business that is owned and run by a group of farmers working together.

Tyson saw things very differently. A company spokesperson said Tyson's position on selling the plants 'has not changed,' meaning they were always open to selling to any buyer. Tyson recently announced it would close or sell three beef plants and some packaging sites because its beef business was losing money. The company said the costs of buying cattle had gotten so high that it was hard to make a profit, even with beef prices rising.

The disagreement between Rollins and Tyson points to a bigger tension between the Trump administration and large meatpacking companies. The government has raised concerns about foreign companies owning U.S. beef plants. Two of the four companies that process most of America's beef are owned by Brazilian companies — JBS USA is owned by Brazil's JBS, and National Beef Packing Company is controlled by Brazil's Marfrig Global Foods. Together, Tyson, Cargill, JBS USA, and National Beef control about 85% of the beef processing in the U.S.

Beef prices have hit record highs this year, which has upset many American shoppers and voters. The main reason prices are so high is that there are fewer cattle available than usual. This has made beef a hot political topic ahead of upcoming elections, with many voters frustrated about the rising cost of food. Polls show that a growing number of people are bothered by how expensive everyday groceries have become.

President Trump has also been critical of big meatpacking companies. Last year, he accused them of driving up prices on purpose through manipulation and unfair deals, and he asked the Justice Department to look into it. Meatpackers say they are actually losing money on beef because the price of buying cattle is so high. Despite these concerns, Trump recently allowed 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef to enter the U.S. at lower tax rates for 90 days, which angered many American ranchers and beef industry groups.

The USDA also announced a plan this week to help the beef industry. The plan includes offering loans to smaller meat processors to help them grow. It also involves using land that has been set aside for conservation as grazing land for cattle. These steps are meant to increase the supply of beef and help bring prices down for American consumers.