Another casualty

摘要

The shrinking U.S. cattle herd and mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) have claimed another packing plant casualty. Yet cow-calf producers appear to have little appetite for expanding their herds, and the impact of COOL on cattle imports is likely to continue for at least another year. Thus, the beef industry should brace itself for the closure of another sizeable plant this year.National Beef Packing announced on Jan. 31 that it will close its Brawley, CA, beef processing plant on April 4. The plant has struggled with a declining supply of fed cattle and faces operating losses for the foreseeable future, says National's majorityowner, Leucadia National Corp.