Cargill Cattle Feeders, based in Lockney, Texas, had been slated for closure following Cargill shuttering its Plainview, Texas beef plant in 2013 as the result of dwindling cattle supply after a prolonged drought. With another feed facility in Bovina, the Lockney facility, with a capacity of 60,000 cattle, was not needed.
In the wake of National Beef closing its Brawley, Calif. plant in early 2014 and while Lofton Trust was in the midst of an expansion project, there was a need for a feed yard location and the Lockney plant fit the bill. The Lockney feed yard will operate under Western Cattle Feeders LLC.
“This is a win for Lockney, its employees, the Texas beef business, Cargill and Lofton Trust,” said Todd Allen, President of Wichita, Kan.-based Cargill Cattle Feeders. “We were dismayed about the prospect of Lockney closing in the wake of the Plainview beef plant shutting down, so being able to keep the feed yard viable is a wonderful feeling. We are confident the Lofton Trust will work hard to maintain its ongoing success.”
