WASHINGTON (DTN) -- At a rally in Weatherford, Texas, on Thursday, Vice President JD Vance announced a $24.6 million commercial loan from USDA Rural Development to construct a new beef processing facility for West Texas Beef Producers LLC.

The company was formed by 36 local investors involved in raising cattle throughout the Texas Panhandle. Their goal is to develop an alternative to major national meatpacking companies and support more competitive beef prices, according to USDA.

"Why do we have a meat processing cartel in the first place?" Vance asked the crowd. "The way to break it up is to build more," he said, adding that the facility would give ranchers and local producers a fair shake in the market.

According to an April post by investment consultant Impact Marketplace, the facility initially will process approximately 210 cattle per day, with plans to expand capacity to 410 cattle per day by its third year of operation.

A USDA news release indicated the project is expected to create 220 jobs in Dimmitt, located about 65 miles southwest of Amarillo, Texas.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has acknowledged in recent months she has been working with a group of ranchers interested in starting their own processing plant, similar to Sustainable Beef in North Platte, Nebraska.

See, "New Packers Will Source Midwest Cattle," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Neither Vance's speech nor USDA's news release initially identified the business by name. DTN received confirmation from the agency one day later that West Texas Beef Producers LLC was the loan recipient.

Courtney Dettle is the company's president and CEO. Her LinkedIn profile identifies her as a real estate agent and indicates total construction costs are expected to exceed $60 million.

West Texas Beef Producers is not the only producer-owned processing facility under development in the region. Producer Owned Beef, a grassroots rancher-owned operation, is also establishing roots in Amarillo.

In August 2022, Texas announced a $12.2 million incentive commitment through the Texas Enterprise Fund, alongside up to $11.1 million in incentives approved by the Amarillo Economic Development Corp. and the city. The incentives supported a proposed $670 million investment in a producer-owned beef processing facility expected to employ nearly 1,600 people. Construction began in 2025 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.

USDA's Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program has long provided loan guarantees to support business development, job creation and retention and economic growth in rural areas. Funding is available to eligible rural businesses, cooperatives and lenders nationwide.

Under the program, USDA generally charges a one-time guaranteed fee of 3% of the guaranteed loan amount, though eligible borrowers may qualify for a reduced 1% fee. USDA guarantees up to 80% of eligible loans, depending on loan size.

In fiscal year 2025, the program reported almost $2 billion in 250 loans.

USDA News Release: https://www.usda.gov/…

Impact Marketplace Site Details: https://www.linkedin.com/…

Jake Zajkowski can be reached at jake.zajkowski@dtn.com

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