Tyson’s plans to close a Nebraska beef plant are sending shockwaves through a state dubbed the “Beef State.” The company plans to lay off 32-hundred workers when the plant winds down in mid-January.

 The Lexington plant handles an estimated 5,000 head a day and is located near several large feedlots.

 David Jobman is chairman of the Dawson County Cattlemen’s Association and said, at first, he thought it was a joke but quickly learned it was no laughing matter.

“As a cattle producer in Dawson County, I’m in shock, along with everybody else. I’m sure the decision was not made lightly, but yeah, that’s going to have a pretty good impact, which is going to ripple through communities here. (It’s a) Pretty good area that was bringing fattened cattle to Lexington for slaughter, and now you’re going to have to find other markets, and added transportation costs are certainly going to be a factor in that.”

Nebraska’s cattle on feed numbers remain solid, and local leaders, many of whom raise cattle, would like to see the plant continue running under new ownership but face a number of hurdles.