MINNEAPOLIS — Cargill said it plans to spend nearly $90 million for automation and new technologies at its Fort Morgan, Colo., beef facility as part of its ongoing Factory of the Future initiative.
One automated solution going forward will be CarVe, Cargill’s proprietary, patent-pending computer vision technology. The program will enable real-time measurement of red meat yield, giving frontline managers the ability to share feedback with employees to improve cutting techniques, Cargill said.
“Before CarVe, yield data was always yesterday’s news,” said Jarrod Gillig, senior vice president of Cargill’s North American Beef business. “Now, we’re making decisions in the moment and saving product that would’ve been lost. By applying smart technology to the problem, we’re getting more meat from every animal, reducing waste, and making protein production more efficient and sustainable from start to finish.”
Cargill expects the CarVe technology to put more protein into the food system.
“Even a 1% yield improvement can save hundreds of millions of pounds of meat,” the company said. “And with the US cattle supply at its lowest level in years, improving yield matters more than ever.”
The company said it plans to make the changes over the next several years as it improves operational efficiencies, increases yields and makes the Fort Morgan plant safer.
Cargill invested nearly $24 million in technology upgrades since 2021 at Fort Morgan.
Other recent developments Cargill made in Fort Morgan include helping with the regional housing shortage by backing a $40 million development project for employee housing.
The project includes 27 townhomes completed and an apartment complex with 81 units looking to open in fall 2025.
“Fort Morgan plays an important part in Cargill’s critical role as a food company to the nation and the world,” Gillig said. “By partnering with local ranchers and farmers in Colorado and the region, we’re working hard to produce more food with less impact there so we can move it to store shelves and ultimately family dinner tables across the country.”
