By Julie Tomascik
Editor

A new beef processing facility in the Texas Panhandle will give cattle producers another marketing option and create more than 200 jobs in the region.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $24.6 million commercial loan backed by its Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program to support construction of a locally owned beef processing facility in Dimmitt.

The USDA-inspected facility is expected to process about 400 head of cattle per day and create 220 jobs with an average wage of $30 per hour.

The project was initiated by 36 local investors involved in raising cattle throughout the Texas Panhandle. The investors aim to provide an alternative to major national meatpacking companies and increase competition in the beef processing industry.

Vice President J.D. Vance announced the investment Oct. 29.

The project comes as USDA continues efforts to expand domestic meat processing capacity and provide cattle producers with more marketing opportunities.

USDA recently announced at least $5 billion in available loans through its Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers (SPUR) Guaranteed Loan Program to expand and diversify meat, poultry and seafood processing capacity.

The new program will provide a 90% loan guarantee to commercial lenders to help eligible processors expand or improve their operations.

The Dimmitt project is supported through USDA’s Business & Industry Guaranteed Loan Program Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program, which helps rural businesses secure financing for projects that support economic development and job creation.

USDA did not announce a construction timeline or anticipated opening date for the Dimmitt facility.

For more information on how USDA Rural Development is supporting Americans in rural communities, visit the Rural Data Gateway.