Business Council, ag industry look to add value to beef, expand markets

Spring green is returning to Wyoming’s vast prairies, and newborn calves are tottering into view behind the wire fences of family ranches across the state. 

Seasonal farmers markets will soon be in full swing in nearly every county in the state. 

Many of those vendors will be selling premium Wyoming beef. 

Wyomingites know their ranchers produce quality beef, but with only a couple U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified beef processors in the state, much of that beef is shipped out of the state for processing. Once it leaves Wyoming’s borders, it is often marketed as beef from another state. 

Wyoming ranchers and state officials want to change that. 

Recently passed legislation calls for the Wyoming Business Council to work with the agriculture industry, and in consultation with the ENDOW Executive Council, on a strategy to build USDA-inspected beef processing plants of all sizes throughout the state and market Wyoming beef locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. 

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