Tom Vilsack Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Official Website
WASHINGTON, July 11, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the Biden-Harris Administration is making investments to strengthen American food supply chains, increase independent meat and poultry processing capacity, create new markets for producers, and lower food costs.
Thanks to funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, USDA is investing nearly $110 million 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.”
The investments are part of USDA’s efforts to create a more competitive agricultural system, advance President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, and support the Administration’s Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain. These actions aim to lower food costs by spurring competition and strengthening supply chains.
**Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program**
USDA is partnering with the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund to provide more than $83 million in grants to 24 independent processors in 15 states under MPPEP. The funding will help build new processing plants, create hundreds of jobs, give local producers better business opportunities, and offer consumers more options at grocery stores. Examples include:
- Simla Frozen Food Locker Co. LLC receiving a $450,000 grant to build a new facility in Colorado.
- McRez Packing International LLC receiving a $390,000 grant for facility refurbishment in New York.
- North State Processing LLC receiving a $10 million grant for a new facility in North Carolina.
- NF Packing Inc. receiving a $1.4 million grant for a start-up processing facility in Wisconsin.
Details on all awards are available online.
USDA's Rural Development has provided 59 awards totaling over $291.4 million through MPPEP funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
**Local Meat Capacity Grant Program**
USDA is awarding $26.9 million to 33 projects across 23 states through Local MCap to expand processing within the meat and poultry industry. This builds on an initial round of $9.5 million awarded in March 2024.
This second set includes Equipment Only projects funding up to $250,000 for equipment purchases like meat grinders or smokers; Processing Expansion projects can receive between $100,000 and $5 million for activities such as facility upgrades or training. Examples include:
- White Oak Pastures using funds to convert its poultry processing facility into one that also processes lambs.
- Nordik Meats purchasing equipment with their grant expanding their processing capacity.
- Seven Hills Food Co enhancing plant operations addressing bottlenecks hindering capacity.
In April 2023, USDA announced up to $75 million available for Local MCap targeting smaller-scale projects designed to build resilience in the meat supply chain by providing local processing options.
Additional awards will be announced later; details are available on AMS Local MCap webpage.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA aims at transforming America’s food system focusing on resilient local production promoting competition ensuring access safe nutritious food building markets using climate-smart practices investing infrastructure clean energy committing equity removing barriers building representative workforce more information visit www.usda.gov
