CHICAGO, Feb 12 (Reuters) - U.S. agribusiness Cargill

will permanently close its beef processing facility in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and eliminate 221 jobs, according to a

filing with the state, ​the latest U.S. beef plant to ‌be

shuttered amid rising costs for meatpackers.

The Cargill Meat Solutions facility will stop ⁠production

around mid-April and fully close around the end of May, ⁠a notice

filed by Cargill with the Wisconsin ‌Department of ‌Workforce

Development said. The plant specializes in fresh beef, ground

beef, and value-added products but ​does not slaughter cattle.

Cargill said ‌the move was made "to better align our

portfolio with current customer demand and prioritize

investments," adding that ​ground beef production will shift ​to

its other ‌North American facilities with no impact on its

consumer contracts. The company operates seven other facilities

in the state ⁠and some of the employees affected are expected to

move ⁠to one in nearby Butler, Wisconsin.

The Milwaukee plant closure comes after rival meatpackers JBS

and Tyson Foods announced they were shuttering beef plants late

last year.

Beef prices are hovering near ⁠record ‌highs due to strong demand

and reduced supply. U.S. ‌President Donald Trump on Friday signed

a proclamation to hike ⁠low-tariff imports of Argentine beef.

U.S. beef packers have been losing money as tight supplies

of cattle forced them to pay more for the livestock they

slaughter and process into hamburgers and steaks.

The U.S. cattle herd has dropped to the lowest level in nearly

75 years ​due to persistent drought that dried up grazing

pastures. A halt on U.S. imports of Mexican cattle tightened

supplies further, as Washington ​seeks to keep out ‌a flesh-eating

parasite.