A federal judge in Missouri ruled Jan. 20 that Missouri Prime Beef Packers must process Niman Ranch’s cattle according to a previous agreement between the two companies.
In February 2021, Niman Ranch entered into a contract with Missouri Prime Beef for processing and fabricating the company’s cattle through 2024, with the option to terminate the contract with 90 day’s notice, according to court documents.
In mid-December, Missouri Prime Beef emailed Niman Ranch and said the plant would be unable to process the company’s beef, effective in early January. Niman Ranch then asked for the required 90 day’s notice, to which Missouri Prime Beef refused.
Niman Ranch said it was unable to find a replacement processor quickly enough and would be unable to provide meat products to its customers, and the ranch filed suit against both Missouri Prime Beef and NextGen Cattle Co. on Jan. 6.
District Judge Douglas Harpool ruled Jan. 20 that Missouri Prime Beef must process Niman Ranch’s cattle for a 90-day period, including 80 head the first week and an additional 40 head per week for the remainder of the period, in addition to paying a $5,000 bond.
