The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working to strengthen the food supply chain while also boosting the economy in rural communities and lowering prices at the grocery store.

According to a Feb. 21 news release, the Biden-Harris administration will invest $59 million to increase capacity at independent meat and poultry processing operations, create new jobs and expand market opportunities for farmers. 

“For too long, American farmers and ranchers have been asked to produce more to meet increasing demand across the country and around the world, while they and the rural communities they come from have struggled to see their fair share of the benefits,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the release. 

The money is part of the administration's Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain. The goal is to support family farmers, establish a fairer market and bring down meat prices on store shelves. Vilsack announced the funding during a tour of a processing facility in Harrisonburg, Va., where money from the investment will be used to expand, the release stated.

According to the release, Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronaugh discussed the importance of these investments to the region's economy through job creation, a stronger food supply chain and increasing market competition which will in turn benefit the consumers. 

“The Biden-Harris administration and USDA are taking action to advance a sustainable vision of agriculture that prioritizes the needs of our resilient producers and small businesses, strengthens our food supply chain and brings value back to rural people and places," Vilsack said in the release. "Through investments like those I’m announcing today, USDA will continue to work tirelessly to give farmers and ranchers a fair chance to compete in the marketplace, which in turn helps lower food costs for the American people.”