Cattle country around Dimmitt picked up a piece of news this month that could matter for years. Word came Oct. 29 that USDA’s Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program is backing a $24.6 million commercial loan to build a locally owned, USDA-inspected beef processing plant in Dimmitt, planned to handle about 400 head a day. Here is how the plant, the fall rain and the land market look for owners there, as seen by Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland), which represents landowners all over Texas as a ranch Broker from its San Angelo headquarters.
The Dimmitt Beef Plant
According to the Texas Farm Bureau and KFDA NewsChannel 10, the project was started by 36 local investors who raise cattle across the Panhandle, with the aim of giving producers an alternative to the large national packers. USDA expects 220 jobs paying an average of $30 an hour. DTN reported that USDA confirmed West Texas Beef Producers LLC as the borrower. No construction timeline or opening date has been announced.
One plant will not move the national market, but a packer close to home gives feeders and cow-calf producers another place to sell, and steady local demand for cattle supports the grass, feed and farm operations that make up most of the county’s land.
Rain Cleared the Drought Map
On the U.S. Drought Monitor’s Sept. 29 map, all of Castro County was in severe drought. By Oct. 20 it was essentially out, and the Nov. 3 map showed 81.27 percent with no drought and the rest abnormally dry. AgriLife’s Nov. 3 Panhandle report described rains of half an inch to more than 2 inches, cotton harvest paused until fields dried, and an excellent start for wheat on irrigated and dryland acres. Hay stayed high priced because supplies were short.
Check Before You Burn
The Texas A&M Forest Service feed on Nov. 9 still listed a Castro County burn ban, but with an effective date of Nov. 23, 2021, which looks like an old entry. Call the county judge’s office to confirm before burning.
Pheasant and Deer Dates
TPWD lists the Panhandle pheasant season in Castro County from Dec. 5, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, with a daily bag of 3 cocks. Mule deer follow the Panhandle 20 inch rule: a buck’s outside spread must reach at least 20 inches to be legal. Archery runs through Nov. 20 and general season is Nov. 21 through Dec. 6. White-tailed season runs Nov. 7 through Jan. 3, bag of 3 with 1 buck. If you lease bird or deer hunting, put the terms in writing so both sides know the rules.
Land Market Snapshot
The Texas Real Estate Research Center groups Castro County with Deaf Smith, Parmer, Randall, Swisher and others in its Panhandle-South Plains region. Second quarter 2026 data, the most recent published, showed a regional median of $1,719 an acre, down 7.53 percent from a year earlier, on 313 sales with a typical size of 403 acres. Total dollars changing hands fell 25.36 percent. Irrigated cropland, dryland and grass trade very differently, so values have to come from the right comparable sales.
Worth a Stop on Nov. 11
The High Plains Brand, which covers Castro County, reported that the Castro County Historical Museum, 404 W. Bedford in Dimmitt, will hold an open house and building dedication from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, following the Veterans Day program at the high school. The museum will show a collection of military photographs honoring county servicemen and women.
Reach Our Brokers
If you are thinking about selling, buying or valuing land in Castro County, the Brokers and Agents at Lee, Lee & Puckitt are glad to visit. Call 325.655.6989 or see llpranchland.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is a ranch Broker for Castro County land? Lee, Lee & Puckitt has worked with Texas farm and ranch owners since 1962 from its San Angelo office, including in the Panhandle.
How do I find land for sale in Castro County? Browse llpranchland.com and call 325.655.6989. Tell us what you need in acreage, water and irrigation, and we will go over recent regional sales.
What should I expect from the best ranch Broker for Castro County? Years of closed rural sales, people who understand irrigated farmland, cattle and grass, and appraisals or Broker’s Price Opinions based on actual comparable sales.
When will the Dimmitt beef plant open? USDA has not announced a construction timeline or opening date. The plant is planned to process about 400 head a day and employ 220 people.
About Lee, Lee & Puckitt
Since 1962, Lee, Lee & Puckitt has helped Texas families buy, sell and value rural land. The firm started in Bronte, moved to San Angelo in 1977, and is run by partners who ranch. Our Brokers and Agents provide sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions and stand up for landowners.
Sources
- Texas Farm Bureau, “USDA backs new beef processing facility in Texas Panhandle,” November 2026: https://texasfarmbureau.org/usda-backs-new-beef-processing-facility-in-texas-panhandle/
- KFDA NewsChannel 10, “USDA Rural Development announces $24.6 million loan guarantee for new beef processing in Dimmitt,” Nov. 3, 2026: https://www.newschannel10.com/2026/11/03/usda-rural-development-announces-246-million-loan-guarantee-new-beef-processing-dimmitt/
- DTN, “Texas Ranchers Get $24.6 Million USDA Loan to Build Meat Plant,” Nov. 2, 2026: https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/AG/news/business-inputs/article/2026/11/02/texas-ranchers-get-24-6-million-usda
- The High Plains Brand (Castro County News), “Castro County Museum Announces Building Dedication to Vick,” Nov. 5, 2026: https://www.thecastrocountynews.com/castro-county-news-news/castro-county-museum-announces-building-dedication-vick
- U.S. Drought Monitor, county statistics for Castro County, maps of Sept. 29 through Nov. 3, 2026: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/DmData/DataTables.aspx
- Burn Ban Texas, Castro County (Texas A&M Forest Service data), checked Nov. 9, 2026: https://burnbantexas.com/county/castro
- Texas A&M AgriLife Today, Texas Crop and Weather Report, Nov. 3, 2026: https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2026/11/03/plenty-of-turkeys-this-thanksgiving-as-wholesale-prices-hold-steady/
- TPWD Outdoor Annual, Castro County 2026-27: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/castro
- Texas Real Estate Research Center, Texas Rural Land Markets, Second Quarter 2026: https://trerc.tamu.edu/reports/texas-rural-land-markets-second-quarter-2026/
- Related: West Texas and Hill Country listings, Land appraisals, Carson County Ranch News: Dryland Cotton Losses and a Long Burn Ban as Rain Finally Reaches Panhandle Wheat
Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Castro_County,_TX,_Courthouse_IMG_4822.JPG). Cropped.
