Oklahoma City’s historic Oklahoma National Stockyards is up for sale for $27 million, signaling the changing times in the American cattle market. The stockyard, which has been family-owned since 1910, is located on prime real estate along the Oklahoma River in a city experiencing growth and development. The cattle market has been squeezed by factors like drought, higher production costs, and the lowest number of cattle in the U.S. since the 1950s. President Trump’s tariffs on imported goods have added uncertainty to the industry. The number of cattle moving through the Oklahoma City stockyard has decreased by 20% in recent years, and younger generations of the owners are uninterested in maintaining such a facility.
The stockyard’s potential sale is a result of urban sprawl and evolving industry practices, as similar stockyards in other major cities have already shuttered. If the Oklahoma City stockyard closes, business would shift to other nearby facilities. While Mayor David Holt believes the stockyard can coexist with the city’s growth, there are concerns among those who rely on the stockyard for their livelihood. The stockyard has become a tourist attraction in the city, drawing visitors to its western-themed shops and steakhouses.
The sale of the Oklahoma National Stockyards underscores the changes sweeping through the American cattle market and the challenges faced by traditional livestock auctions in urban areas. The outcome of the sale remains uncertain, but it represents a significant shift in the industry’s landscape and marks the end of an era for one of the last big-city stockyards in the U.S.
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