07/26/06 Small business help

Small Business Help Two new programs may be coming to help smaller meat packers and businesses. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back with some details. Senate bill S53519 was introduced in the U.S. Senate in late June by Senators Orin Hatch, Utah, Kent Conrad, South Dakota, and Herb Kohl, Wisconsin. The proposed legislators would allow interstate sales of state-inspected meat. A coalition of agricultural organizations is supporting the bill that would help smaller meat packers compete with foreign-produced meat. This foreign meat is allowed to be shipped across the U.S. if it is inspected by the originating nation and their inspection standards are equivalent to U.S. standards. The new legislation, if approved, would allow inspected meats to compete also with wild game meat that can be shipped anywhere in the country with no barriers. Supporters of the bill feel it will be beneficial to producers and consumers alike. The other new program that is being promoted by the U.S. Meat Exporting Federation. Small meat packing plants and companies that would like to try marketing on a global basis can do so through the U.S. Meat Exporting Federation's branded products promotion program. This program helps with matching funds to assist with the costs involved getting started in international marketing. With this boost, I'm sure new companies could compete internationally and create more markets for U.S. producers. I'm Jeff Keane. Western Livestock Reporter 6/28/06