YANKTON, S.D. (KELO) – After a recent halt in operations at Cimpl’s in Yankton, it seems that the cattle industry may not be so simple.
“The cattle business is always fluid, there’s always changes,” Warren Symens, president of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, said. “There are many things out there that even one producer to another, everybody does something just a little different.”
“There are complicated things that are due to environment, location, what’s available to you for feed, land, labor- all those things play a role in the cattle industry.”
Warren Symens, president of the SD Cattlemen’s Association
A news release from American Foods Group (AFG) says the Yankton meat processing facility shut down cattle harvesting and fabrications, but will continue sausage and supporting operations. In the release, AFG credits “the current unprecedented cattle cycle and long-term industry changes” as its reason for ceasing.
Turns out, the cattle-producing industry is complicated all across the nation, not just South Dakota.
The ‘unprecedented cattle cycle’
As Symens explains, a cattle cycle is the regular fluctuation in cattle numbers across the country, which currently sits at a historic low.
“There’s only so many cows to go around,” Symens said.
According to the USDA, the national cattle inventory continues to drop. At the beginning of 2025, a USDA report shows that cattle inventory dropped this year compared to last year by 1%. This continues to be a trend year over year.
With these dropping numbers in mind, if more cows are sent for harvesting at a processing facility, then there will be less cows in a herd. Symens says this could be more impactful now since cow numbers are already low.
“A lot of what’s being processed at Cimpl’s meats in Yankton is mature cows that have had a calf and, for whatever reason, have been put on feed and fed out and taken there for processing,” Symens said.
One reason for this national low cattle cycle could be inflation. Symens lists out a few examples of rising costs for farmers, ranchers, and meatpacking businesses:
- Property taxes
- Health insurance plans
- Land prices
- Labor
- Cattle feed
- Transportation
Another reason for the low cattle cycle could be climate conditions.
“We’re all concerned about the environment, and no more so than cattle producers,” Symens said.
In order for sustainable change, Symens says these weather conditions must change:
- Ease drought concerns
- Get moisture in areas where cattle numbers are the lowest
“We’ll probably see another swing in the cattle cycle 5-10 years from now,” Symens says.
In the summer of 2021, KELOLAND News reported about busier than normal sale barns in Fort Pierre, Aberdeen and Worthing as producers thinned down herds. That was a snapshot in South Dakota, where cattle outnumber people 4-1, but other states experienced similar impacts from the drought
Long-term cattle industry changes
“Anytime a plant like [Cimpl] closes, there is an effect,” Symens said. “It’s kind of like a ripple effect across the country.”
In response to Cimpl’s halt of operations, more than 250 employees lost their jobs.
Right now, beef prices continue to climb as demand continues to shift. In terms of the supply chain, Symens says that everything will balance itself out eventually.
“Every time we hit a different part of the cattle cycle, there’s always a new normal,” Symens said.
Hy-Vee and Walmart carry AFG products in South Dakota cities, such as Yankton and Sioux Falls, according to the AFG locator. KELOLAND News reached out to both companies for a statement and continues to wait for a response.
Because of a changing cattle-producing industry, Symens says South Dakota continues to find ways to navigate through moving parts that are always changing.
“There are complicated things that are due to environment, location, what’s available to you for feed, land, labor- all those things play a role in the cattle industry,” Symens said.
Looking at the future for the cattle industry, Symens says South Dakota leads the way for land conservation.
“True conservation includes a grazing animal,” Symens said. “I think our farmers and ranchers need to be celebrated not only for the work that they’re doing, but also for the job that they can do.”
According to its website, the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association represents the state’s beef and cattle community, and advocates for grassroots policies on key issues.
