The shuttering of a lamb processing plant in Greeley, Colorado that serves sheep producers in 15 states including South Dakota is expected to impact one fifth of the nation’s lamb industry. American Sheep Industry Association Executive Director Peter Orwick says the closing of the Mountain States Lamb Cooperative plant was caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic.

JBS which had sold that processing facility to Mountain States has now bought that facility back and will be processing beef there. Orwick says while the loss of that lamb plant is disappointing what’s positive is the anticipated opening of another lamb processing plant in Brush, Colorado slated for next month.

Orwick says the sheep and lamb industry like most of agriculture has been suffering from the effects of the pandemic.

200 plus plant employees at the Mountain State’s Greeley facility lost their jobs at the beginning of the month.