World's Largest Cattle-Feeding Operation Being Sold, Impacting Lots In Arizona and 5 Other States

By Heather van Blokland
Published: Friday, January 26, 2018 - 1:33pm

Five Rivers Cattle Feeding, the largest cattle feeding operation in the world, is being acquired for $200 million. JBS USA announced the sale  Five Rivers to affiliates of Pinnacle Asset Management LP last week.

The transaction includes 11 feed yards across Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. More than 900,000 head of cattle are part of the sale, along with a long-term agreement to supply cattle to beef processing plants. The current Five Rivers management team will remain in place according to the announcement, along with 600 employees.

The sale comes 10 years after JBS bought Smithfield Beef Group, which included the Five Rivers Cattle Feeding operations, as well as Smithfield Food's beef processing facilities. JBS since expanded the feeding operations about 10 percent over the last decade before agreeing to sell to Pinnacle.

Completion of the acquisition is subject to U.S. regulatory review and approval.

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