After the meatpacking giant purchased a bankrupt facility in Colorado to convert it to beef processing, Western ranchers worry about further consolidation of an already fraught business.

In a few weeks, many Western sheep ranchers might not have a place to slaughter their lambs.

Global meatpacking giant JBS last month won the bankruptcy auction for the Mountain State Rosen (MSR) lamb processing plant in Greeley, Colorado. The plant, formerly owned by a cooperative, processed as much as one-fifth of all U.S. lamb, and served ranchers from 15 states. The plant also directly competed with JBS, which imports lamb to sell in the United States.

JBS planned to immediately shut down lamb processing and convert the facility to process beef, threatening U.S. sheep ranchers already leveled by COVID-19. After a rancher and 12 Republican senators and House members sent letters to the executive branch urging antitrust action, the Department of Justice (DOJ) last week issued a “standstill” order preventing JBS from closing or converting the plant for 30 days, according to sources familiar with the deal.