Cargill Announces Lockney, Texas Cattle Feedlot Closure

Oct 23, 2013

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Cargill Inc. said that it will close its Lockney, Texas, cattle feedlot operation in summer 2014 due to tight cattle supplies and high feed costs.

Recently, Cargill announced the closure of its Plainview, Texas beef processing plant in February highlighting concerns of shrinking cattle supplies and increasing input costs such as feed. The Lockney feedlot has a capacity of 62,000 head and runs through 120,000 cattle annually. Cargill has two other feedlots in Texas located in Dalhart and Bovina.

No other plans to close additional Cargill beef facilities in Texas are planned. Persistent drought has shrunk the U.S. cattle supply to its smallest in 61 years. The feedlot has 45 employees and Cargill said they will be provided with the opportunity to relocate to fill other positions in the region. The exact date of the feedlot closure is to be determined.

Video: Seaweed-Based Solutions: Building Natural Performance in Modern Swine Production

In today’s pork industry, producers are under increasing pressure to do more with fewer inputs—while maintaining performance, improving animal health, and meeting sustainability expectations.

we sit down with Sylvain David and Scott Preston from Olmix to explore how seaweed-based solutions are emerging as a foundational tool in modern swine nutrition.

Rather than acting as simple alternatives, these solutions are designed to support gut health, immune resilience, and overall system consistency—especially during key stress periods like weaning, feed transitions, and disease challenges.

The conversation dives into:

• What seaweed-based solutions actually are and how they work

• Why consistency and standardization matter in “natural” products

• How gut health connects to immune function and performance

• Where producers are seeing real-world impact today

• The role of natural solutions in the future of sustainable pork production