National Beef Wire (2024)

FAQs

Who owns the National Beef Packing Company? ›

National Beef is a beef processor headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, that produces fresh, chilled and further processed beef and beef by-products for customers worldwide. The company is owned by multinational Marfrig.

For 2024, tighter supplies of cattle are expected to support higher fed steer prices. Hog and broiler prices are expected to be higher despite higher production as stronger domestic and export demand absorb increased supplies.

Our Liberal and Dodge City, Kansas, beef processing facilities and the Iowa Premium^® plant in Tama, Iowa, are the foundation of our world-class beef operations.

The processor's North American operations, which include National Beef, posted net revenue of BRL62. 8 billion ($11.6 billion) for the year, up 23.6% from 2020, helped by strong demand for beef in the U.S. market.

We source the majority of our beef from Australia, where they've built an entire system on certifying pasture-raised meat.

Unfortunately for beef manufacturers supply is declining and is expected to be 56 pounds per capita in 2024, 1.9% lower than 2023. This is due to the contraction of beef heards, ongoing drought, higher producer input costs, supply chain issues, and more.

Based on these assumptions and adjusted for the weaning rate, the average calf revenue is $1029 per cow. Cost-wise, there were not any major changes for 2023, other than marketing costs due to the higher calf prices.

Cattle feed costs for corn and hay are expected to decline in 2024 while prices for live cattle remain high. However, cattle herd numbers are not expected to start recovering from a nationwide decline until 2025.

Texas stands as the undisputed leader, boasting a staggering 4.115 million head of beef cows. This remarkable figure accounts for nearly 15 percent of all beef cows in the United States. The beef cattle industry is a cornerstone of American agriculture, providing a significant contribution to the nation's economy.

Where does China get their beef from? ›

Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Australia are the top four suppliers to China, followed by New Zealand and Canada. Imported beef is mostly consumed via food services, or is further processed into cooked meat products or hot pot rolls.

About National Beef:

The company processes and markets a comprehensive line of fresh beef, case-ready products, and beef by-products with eight processing facilities in six states and over 9,800 employees. National Beef achieved annual sales in 2020 of $9.4 billion.

Marfrig Purchases National Beef Ownership Interest | National Beef.

McDonald's is the nation's largest purchaser of beef, pork, and potatoes. It is the second-largest purchaser of chicken.

In 2008, JBS S.A. announced its intent to purchase National Beef, but the move was blocked when the U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit.

Four giant companies – that's right, FOUR – Tyson, Cargill, and Brazil-based National Beef and JBS, now control 85% of the U.S. beef market. WH Group (Chinese), JBS, Hormel, and Tyson control about 67% of the pork market. Tyson and Pilgrims Pride control about 45% of the chicken market.

Cargill. With 153,000 employees and $120 billion of annual sales, Cargill is one of the largest privately held companies in the world. Subsidiary Cargill Beef processes 8 million cattle and 8 billion pounds of boxed beef per year through its eight plants in the U.S. and Canada.

JBS S.A.

JBS USA Holdings, Inc.