Active U.S. Meat & Poultry Construction Adds Up to $2.5 Billion

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Written by Eric Funderburk for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Beef and poultry products remain key elements of Americans' diets, and U.S. meat companies are stepping up to the plate to meet demand for everything from fresh-cut meats to prepared products.

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Increasing Availability

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates domestic availability of most types of meats and poultry, the agency's proxy for demand, will increase this year. Data from the USDA last year estimated the availability of red meat and poultry was about 226 pounds per U.S. consumer in 2025, in addition to 22 dozen eggs per capita. This year, the USDA estimates 228.8 pounds of beef, pork, broilers and turkey available per U.S. consumer, as well as 22.5 dozen eggs. The agency reports that chicken broiler meat is the top-consumed meat in the U.S. and is projected to reach 105.6 pounds available per person this year and 106.5 pounds in 2027. Per capita beef availability this year is lower at an estimated 60 pounds per person, which is expected to decrease slightly in 2027.

Industrial Info Resources tracks all aspects of the meat and poultry industry, from livestock feedlots to slaughtering and processing facilities to the manufacture of prepared products. Industrial Info Resources data find nearly $2.5 billion worth of construction underway in the U.S. meat and poultry sector, and more than $7.5 billion worth of construction planned for the future. In addition, Industrial Info Resources' Food & Beverage Industry coverage includes details of more than 80 maintenance projects at U.S. meat plants planned for this year and 2027.

Beef Construction

Two of the largest U.S. meat and poultry projects under construction are for beef packing and processing plants in Texas. In Amarillo, Producer Owned Beef LLC late last year kicked off work on a 720,000-square-foot facility capable of processing 3,000 head of cattle per day, while in Cactus, Texas, about 60 miles north of Amarillo, one of the "Big Four" beef players, Brazil-based JBS, is expanding a beef processing plant through additional square footage, renovations and new machinery additions.

The Texas beef projects come despite low herd numbers that last year prompted another Big Four beef player, Tyson, to reduce shifts at its Amarillo plant and close a Nebraska plant entirely. For more information, see December 1, 2025, article - Tyson's Nebraska, Texas Plant Reductions Show U.S. Beef Woes. U.S. beef herds dropped to their lowest numbers in more than 70 years in 2024. This eased somewhat in 2025, although herds will take years to rebuild and a low-supply, high-demand environment is keeping U.S. beef prices high. USDA data showed average fresh beef prices reached a record average of $9.64 in April this year, accounting for both cuts of beef and ground beef. A new concern, screwworm, is being felt in the Texas cattle sector, and producers and the USDA are making all efforts to contain a potential larger outbreak of the flesh-eating parasite.

Poultry

Outside of hatcheries, the largest poultry-related construction projects underway in the U.S. are for poultry-based prepared foods. The largest such project comes from leading U.S. poultry producer Pilgrim's Pride, which last year broke ground on a grassroot plant in Lafayette, Georgia, that will churn out prepared chicken products such as breaded nuggets, chicken strips and popcorn chicken under its own Pilgrim's Pride label as well as its Just Bare and Gold Kist brands. Construction on the estimated 300,000-square-foot facility is expected to be completed next year.

Meat Science & Education Facilities

While other meat-processing construction projects span the U.S. in states from Michigan to Iowa to Alabama to Idaho, Industrial Info Resources data find two projects involving meat science are underway at universities in the U.S. Both Texas A&M in College Station and the University of Missouri in Columbia are constructing grassroot meat science facilities on their campuses.

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company is putting the finishing touches on the University of Missouri's new Micheal L. Parson Meat Science and Training Laboratory in Columbia, while the 85,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center at Texas A&M's College Station campus is expected to be completed in late 2027 or early 2028. According to Industrial Info Resources data, Texas A&M is planning to replace its poultry sciences center in College Station, although plans for this are in a very early stage and not expected to see movement until around 2028.

Future U.S. Meat & Poultry Construction

Industrial Info Resources is tracking another $7.58 billion worth of U.S. meat- and poultry-related construction expected in the future, although not all of this will move forward as planned. One of the top projects doesn't involve poultry or beef, but another popular meat: pork. Smithfield Foods is drawing up plans to drop more than $1 billion on a grassroot hog-processing facility in South Dakota, which will be capable of processing around 20,000 hogs per day and produce both packaged meats and fresh pork products. The project could break ground next year and also will include a $110 million wastewater treatment facility in addition to the 1.4 million-square-foot slaughtering and processing plant.

Egg Farms & Hatcheries

Also included in Industrial Info Resources' meat and poultry coverage are egg farms and hatcheries, which account for more than $225 million in current U.S. construction, and more than $700 million worth of U.S. construction planned for the future.

Key Takeaways

• Industrial Info Resources is tracking just shy of $2.5 billion worth meat and poultry projects under construction in the U.S., and another $7.58 billion planned for the future.
• Two of the largest projects involve beef-processing plants in Texas.
• The largest U.S. meat project planned for the future is a $1 billion+ Smithfield Foods hog-processing facility to be built in South Dakota.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).