More packing capacity is coming back to the northern Panhandle, and cattle country around Tulia is paying attention. On Nov. 9, Tyson Foods said it will fully reopen the second production shift at its Amarillo beef plant by summer 2027, tied to a planned long-term partnership with Allied Beef Company, a consortium of American ranchers. Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland) sells and appraises Panhandle and South Plains ranch country as a San Angelo ranch Broker, and here is our read on what the news means for Swisher County cattle, grass and land.
What Tyson Announced
The company’s release says select second-shift operations have already restarted in Amarillo and the full shift should be running by next summer. Tyson described Allied Beef as a group of American ranchers and said the partnership is meant to strengthen the domestic cattle supply chain. No head counts, contract terms or price formulas were made public.
The Amarillo Tribune reported Nov. 11 that the plant went to a single shift in January, when about 1,700 people were laid off, and that Tyson first said in August it would restore the second shift without giving a date.
Why It Matters Around Tulia
Swisher County sits on I-27 between Amarillo and Lubbock, in country where feedyards, wheat pasture and native grass all feed the same cattle business. More slaughter capacity close to home generally helps fed cattle demand, but the effect on local prices depends on how fast volume ramps up. ABC 7 Amarillo noted that Tyson cited historically low cattle supplies when it cut the plant to one shift in January, so nobody should read the announcement as a guarantee of higher calf checks.
The Tulia Sale Barn
USDA-reported figures compiled by Cownty show the Tulia sale on Nov. 12 averaging $406.22 per hundredweight on 76 head of 500 to 599 pound steers, about $8 higher than the prior sale. Steers in the 400 to 499 pound class averaged $469.88, and 500 to 599 pound heifers averaged $352.44. Those are past sale averages, not a bid on anyone’s cattle.
Grass, Wheat and Water
The Nov. 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Swisher County in moderate drought, with severe drought on less than 1 percent of the county. Drought.gov ranks October as the county’s 32nd wettest in 132 years, and the 30-day rain total ran well above normal. Texas A&M AgriLife’s Nov. 13 report for the Panhandle district put winter wheat at 85 percent planted and 73 percent emerged, with improved and native pastures responding to the recent moisture. No countywide burn ban is listed for Swisher County in Texas A&M Forest Service data as of Nov. 14.
Underground, the High Plains Water District’s 2026 measurements show Swisher County water levels essentially flat, up 0.03 feet on average across 87 observation wells, with an average saturated thickness of 42 feet.
Hunting Dates
White-tailed deer general season runs Nov. 7 through Jan. 3, 2027, with a bag of 3 deer, no more than 1 buck. Mule deer general season is Nov. 21 through Dec. 6, and Panhandle antler restrictions apply. Pheasant opens Dec. 5, and quail runs through Feb. 28 with a daily bag of 15.
Panhandle Land Market
The Texas Real Estate Research Center’s second quarter 2026 report placed Panhandle and South Plains rural land at $1,719 an acre, down 7.53 percent from a year earlier, on 313 annualized sales. The center said high prices in this farming region have met some buyer resistance. Water, soils, improvements and location still separate one Swisher County tract from the next.
Talk With an LLP Ranch Broker
Thinking about selling, buying or valuing a place near Tulia, Happy or Kress? Call Lee, Lee & Puckitt at 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can help me sell a ranch in Swisher County? Lee, Lee & Puckitt is a San Angelo ranch brokerage whose Brokers and Agents handle ranch and farm sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions across the Panhandle.
How do I find land for sale in Swisher County? Start at llpranchland.com, then call 325.655.6989 and tell our team the acreage, water and use you have in mind.
What should I look for in the best ranch Broker for Swisher County? Knowledge of irrigated, dryland and grass values, an eye for groundwater and wheat grazing, and pricing grounded in recent comparable sales.
Will the Amarillo shift raise cattle prices near Tulia? More nearby slaughter capacity can support fed cattle demand, but Tyson did not give volume figures, and tight cattle supplies and futures will still drive local prices.
About Lee, Lee & Puckitt
Lee, Lee & Puckitt got its start in Bronte and now works from San Angelo. Since 2003 the firm has handled more than 800,000 acres of ranch and farm sales, and its partners are ranchers who look at a place the way a buyer will.
Sources
- Tyson Foods, “Tyson Foods and Allied Beef Company Announce Plans to Establish a Long-Term Partnership to Strengthen Domestic Cattle Supply,” Nov. 9, 2026: https://www.tysonfoods.com/news/news-releases/2026/11/tyson-foods-and-allied-beef-company-announce-plans-establish-long-term
- Amarillo Tribune, “Tyson Foods actively restoring second shift at Amarillo facility,” Nov. 11, 2026: https://amarillotribune.org/2026/11/11/tyson-foods-actively-restoring-second-shift-at-amarillo-facility-expected-to-be-fully-operational-by-next-summer/
- ABC 7 Amarillo, “Tyson plans to restore second shift at Amarillo beef plant by summer 2027,” Nov. 9, 2026: https://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/tyson-foods-plans-to-restore-second-shift-at-amarillo-beef-plant-by-summer-2027-layoffs-historically-low-cattle-supplies-partnership-allied-beef-company
- Cownty, Swisher County page (USDA AMS Tulia sale of Nov. 12, 2026), checked Nov. 14, 2026: https://cownty.com/county/swisher-tx
- Drought.gov, Swisher County conditions, checked Nov. 14, 2026: https://www.drought.gov/states/texas/county/swisher
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas Crop and Weather Report, Nov. 13, 2026, by Adam Russell, as published in North Texas e-News: https://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_147455.shtml
- High Plains Water District, 2026 water level measurements: https://www.hpwd.org/2026-water-level-measurements-are-complete
- Burn Ban Texas, Swisher County (Texas A&M Forest Service data), checked Nov. 14, 2026: https://burnbantexas.com/county/swisher
- TPWD Outdoor Annual, Swisher County 2026-27: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/swisher
- 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: Land appraisals, Contact LLP Ranchland, Castro County Ranch News: USDA Backs a Producer-Owned Beef Plant in Dimmitt as Drought Clears
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swisher_county_courthouse_2009.jpg). Cropped.
