Tyson Beef Struggles While Other Segments Lift Second Quarter Results

Tyson is still reshaping its beef footprint.

The raw meat packer and the slaughterer work in the slaughterhouse. By EmmaStock.png

The raw meat packer and the slaughterer work in the slaughterhouse.

By EmmaStock

Photo by EmmaStock via Adobe Stock

LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) — Tyson Foods posted stronger second-quarter results overall, but beef remained the company’s weak spot as tight cattle supplies and high livestock costs continued to pressure margins.

Tyson said second-quarter sales rose to $13.65 billion, while it still expects its beef segment to post an adjusted operating loss of $350 million to $500 million in fiscal 2026.

19297661-g.jpeg

Tyson Foods

The company’s better-performing protein businesses helped offset that drag. Tyson expects fiscal 2026 adjusted operating income of $250 million to $300 million in pork, $1.9 billion to $2.05 billion in chicken, and $1.25 billion to $1.35 billion in Prepared Foods.

Management credited chicken and prepared foods with driving momentum and market-share gains in the quarter.

Tyson is also still reshaping its beef footprint. In November, the company said it would close its Lexington, Nebraska, beef plant and convert its Amarillo, Texas, facility to a single full-capacity shift while increasing output at other plants.

Farm-Level Takeaway: Tyson’s second-quarter results showed how hard it is to process beef profitably — even as pork, chicken, and prepared foods perform better.
Tony St. James, RFD News Markets Specialist

Related Stories
Strong beef demand is offsetting weaker cash cattle.
Brazil logistics issues may support U.S. soybean demand.
AFBF Economist Danny Munch breaks down a new Farm Bureau analysis showing that producers now earn less than 6 cents of every food dollar, as farm input costs continue to squeeze margins.
Productivity gains are supporting supply despite limited herd expansion.
Young exhibitors balance school and months of preparation as they compete at one of Texas’s largest livestock events.

Tony St. James joined the RFD-TV talent team in August 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 Sirius XM. In addition to his role as Market Specialist (collaborating with Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady to provide radio and TV audiences with the latest updates on ag commodity markets), he hosts “Rural America Live” and serves as talent for trade shows.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Input costs may stay elevated beyond tariff impacts.
Seafood producers gain expanded access to USDA support programs.
CoBank Lead Energy Economist Teri Viswanath discusses their analysis of rising energy costs, rural impacts, and the outlook for fuel prices amid ongoing global uncertainty.
Risk management and diversification improve survival odds. Heidi Exline with American Farmland Trust discusses barriers to farmland access and efforts to connect the next generation of producers with retiring farmers.
National Land Realty’s Jeramy Stephens explains how rising input costs and economic uncertainty are impacting the farmland market and what landowners should watch moving forward.
Higher fuel costs are raising grain shipping expenses. RealAg Radio’s Shaun Haney discusses how energy market disruptions are impacting farmers in new ways as the War in Iran continues.