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Chicken farmers stuck with uncertainty, massive loans in wake of Tyson Foods closures
Missouri Independent ^ | 5/10/24 | JOHN MCCRACKEN

Posted on 05/14/2024 1:19:56 AM PDT by CFW

Timothy Bundren must have heard wrong.

The sun wasn’t up yet. He was still groggy from starting his morning routine of walking through chicken barns.

His phone rang and his contact with the global meat company headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, just two hours south of his farm, started telling him he would no longer be raising chickens.

Bundren, 52, didn’t believe him at first. Just hours later, he was supposed to meet with the bank about another loan to buy the farm down the road. Bundren waited an hour and then called the man back.

The news didn’t change, but the weight sunk in.

Tyson Foods closed four meatpacking plants that day in North Little Rock, Arkansas; Noel and Dexter, Missouri; and Corydon, Indiana. Bundren lives near the plants closed in Missouri and Arkansas. Because of this, the company canceled Bundren’s contract to raise broiler chickens.

[snip]

Tyson did not answer specific questions about the closures, its relationship with contract growers, or how many growers lost contracts due to these closures. In a statement emailed to Investigate Midwest, it said closing plants was not an easy move:

“Tyson Foods is proud to partner with a network of independent growers across the country, and we value the contribution that these growers make to our business. Closing plants is always a difficult decision, and we understand the impact it has on the people and businesses in those communities. We work to help our team members and partners through that transition, and Tyson Foods has provided affected growers with several options to honor our contractual commitments and allow growers to receive fair value.”

(Excerpt) Read more at missouriindependent.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: agriculture; bankruptcy; chicken; chickenfarmers; closures; debt; food; foodsecurity; foreclosure; meat; supplychain; tyson; waronfood
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Chicken is in big demand as it is the "go-to" relatively inexpensive meat for most families's meals. So, why is Tyson doing this?
1 posted on 05/14/2024 1:19:56 AM PDT by CFW
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To: CFW

We all know why


2 posted on 05/14/2024 1:28:05 AM PDT by Pikachu_Dad
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To: Pikachu_Dad

I don’t know why. Owned by china? Relocate to Mexico cause USA government regulation?

Chickens take 28 days to slaughter. Stock up on chicken!!!!


3 posted on 05/14/2024 1:45:32 AM PDT by Pocketdoor
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To: CFW

Bttt


4 posted on 05/14/2024 2:11:21 AM PDT by Eagles6 (Welcome to the Matrix . Orwell's "1984" was a warning, not an instruction manual. )
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To: CFW
Cost cutting, some plants are more efficient than others.

The decision to shutter four more plants comes as the average price of pork dropped 16.4% year-over-year and chicken fell 5.5%, according to the company. The beef industry has also been a challenge for the company, with a shrinking supply of cattle resulting in higher costs.

Tyson reported a net loss of $417 million for the latest quarter, compared to a $750 million profit the same period a year prior.

5 posted on 05/14/2024 2:21:39 AM PDT by tlozo ( Trump: "As everyone agrees, Ukraine Survival and Strength...is also important to us!" )
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To: CFW

You will eat bugs and like it.


6 posted on 05/14/2024 2:22:07 AM PDT by spincaster (t)
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To: CFW

Nice of Tyson to give some notice before shutting down. Then they say how important independent growers are. What a crock. Chicken just went up a buck a pound at the grocery store where I buy. A buck more since last week.


7 posted on 05/14/2024 2:34:23 AM PDT by Omnivore-Dan
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To: CFW

Used to be that chicken was cheap — but chicken prices have been high for awhile. Now I guess they’ll move higher.


8 posted on 05/14/2024 2:35:22 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (It's not "Quiet Quitting" -- it's "Going Galt".)
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To: CFW

Didn’t Tyson also close these plants so that they can hire illegal aliens instead of US Citizens?


9 posted on 05/14/2024 3:14:35 AM PDT by Dacula (Trust your heart and follow the Lord Jesus Christ)
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To: CFW

Bidennomics - on the path to ruination. The psychos want us eating the bugs that chickens like to eat. God help us to weather this insanity storm.


10 posted on 05/14/2024 3:19:45 AM PDT by iontheball
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To: CFW

Years ago, before ESG was a known thing, the large chicken companies started requiring the chicken houses to have “safety” and comfort features for the chicken. I know a family who had to close their multigenerational business down because those regulations became too costly.


11 posted on 05/14/2024 3:27:23 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: Pocketdoor

“I don’t know why. Owned by china? Relocate to Mexico cause USA government regulation?”

Because everything is about the revolution. Food shortages, higher prices. Money is being pulled out of the American economy at an alarming rate. The money being spent on Ukraine is outrageous. More money was given to Ukraine in the last two years than the last 30 years the US subsidized Israel. Let that sink in a moment.

Then we have more money being taken out of the economy to support illegal immigration. Also, the “Shamdemic” resulted in massive supply chain cuts which also raised prices on everything, and yet in California this is still going on and not a word from the media about it.

This is Cloward-Piven on crystal meth. My father put it this way. Cloward-Piven was intended to make the rich richer, the poor poorer, all paid for by the middle class. The goal is a two class society, which is how authoritarian regimes are built.

Only thing stopping the full on destruction of America is the second amendment.


12 posted on 05/14/2024 3:34:20 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Give the Anti-Israel Protesters a one way ticket to fight with Hamas. )
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To: CFW

Tyson Foods has always been pretty unkind to its growers that is nothing new as you can see the countryside littered with closed chicken houses in Arkansas. If I were them, I would look at switching to another grower and put a little extra in and switching to a generic grow operation if it were me..


13 posted on 05/14/2024 3:44:28 AM PDT by dpetty121263
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To: CFW

Tyson implied message: we will harvest the bugs, and you will eat them.


14 posted on 05/14/2024 3:53:01 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (FBI out of Florida!)
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To: iontheball
[Bidennomics - on the path to ruination. The psychos want us eating the bugs that chickens like to eat. God help us to weather this insanity storm.]

All according to plan




15 posted on 05/14/2024 3:56:19 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
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To: Dacula

I think in that case, Tyson would just keep the plants open and fire the American workers.


16 posted on 05/14/2024 3:57:09 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (FBI out of Florida!)
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To: spincaster
[You will eat bugs and like it.]

You VILL eat ZE bugs and like it.

Bugs - it's what the WEF (World Economic Forum) says every one else can eat for dinner - while THEY, the Globalist Elites, dine on lobster, steak, etc.


17 posted on 05/14/2024 3:57:52 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
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To: dpetty121263

Small businesses have to be very cautious about getting in bed with huge multinational corporations. They paint rosy pictures, encourage borrowing for expansion, and then cut your throat over pricing or something else. Their statements with regard to “caring” about their vendors is just lip service.


18 posted on 05/14/2024 4:03:24 AM PDT by Rlsau1
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To: EQAndyBuzz

Your post makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks for taking the time to convey it that way.

Because everything is about the revolution.


19 posted on 05/14/2024 4:22:42 AM PDT by rlmorel (In Today's Democrat America, The $5 Dollar Bill is the New $1 Dollar Bill.)
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To: tlozo

Knew a farmer in North Carolina who went into debt to build big chicken sheds to feed the Tyson plant. They closed. He killed himself.


20 posted on 05/14/2024 4:32:19 AM PDT by MMusson
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