Farm Progress America, April 1, 2025

Mike Pearson tell listeners about the latest scam to hit meat packers in the United States.

Two tractor loads carrying 80,000 pounds of beef worth half a million dollars was stolen from Southeast Provisions in Bean Station, Tennessee last Tuesday.

According to the Granger County Sheriff, trailers were picked up by drivers falsely claiming to be subcontractors for a legitimate firm.

This kind of theft isn't new but causing great concern due to the frequencies and the high value of beef right now.

The American Association of Meat Processors has issued warnings to processors nationwide highlighting the need for tighter security. From financial scams where they order meat then cancel the payment to email scams using false identities.

Earlier in 2025, scammers used an email to pretend to be a procurement manager of a legitimate distributor even creating false emails addresses and credit applications. Then hired reputable trucking companies to haul away the stolen beef and pork. This left the meat processor and trucking company unpaid.

Red flags were evident in this case with the wording of "grounded meat" meaning it was a theft of foreign origin due to the misuse of the language.

Despite warnings, these cams are prevalent, As of now, the meat from Bean Station remains missing.

Related: Farm Progress America, March 31, 2025

Farm Progress America is a daily look at key issues in agriculture. It is produced and presented by Mike Pearson, farm broadcaster and host of This Week in Agribusiness .