Last week, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Biden-Harris Administration was making a significant investment in the meat and poultry industry. Nearly $110 million will be funneled through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) and the Local Meat Capacity (Local MCap) Grant Program.
“The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are advancing a sustainable vision of agriculture that prioritizes the needs of hardworking producers and small businesses and keeps rural communities strong,” said Secretary Vilsack. “Thanks to historic resources from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, USDA is working to give farmers and ranchers a fairer chance to compete in the marketplace, which will increase local food options and lower costs for American families.”
According to a press release, these investments are part of the USDA’s broader efforts to create a more competitive agricultural system.
One of the most important elements of the funding comes through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP).
The USDA partnered with the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund to provide more than $83 million in grants to 24 independent processors in 15 states under the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). The funding, made available through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, will help build new processing plants, create hundreds of jobs, give local producers and entrepreneurs better business opportunities, and give consumers more options at the grocery store.
USDA’s Rural Development has provided 59 awards totaling over $291.4 million through MPPEP to expand processing capacity and strengthen the food supply chain. MPPEP is funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
The USDA will also award $26.9 million to 33 projects in 23 states through the Local Meat Capacity (Local MCap) grant program to expand processing within the meat and poultry industry. This second set of awards through Local MCap is for equipment and expansion project types.
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We’ll continue to keep you abreast of the latest news in our industry, so stay tuned.
