Supporting Livestock Producers By Funding Processors

This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future Report.

The USDA has rolled out phase four of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program to provide grants to help eligible meat and poultry processors expand their domestic capacity. Rural Business Cooperative Service Acting Administrator Victoria Collin says this is all an effort to better support American livestock and poultry producers.

Collin… “ Expanding local processing capabilities and strengthening supply chains within our rural communities is critical to give producers the tools that they need to boost that meat production and continue feeding our nation. We've heard from our producers that having these small and very small processors in their community is often the only option that they have to process cattle. And so having this access to capital for these processors is critical to the whole supply chain.”

Collin describes the criteria for eligibility.

Collin… “ The types of entities that we're looking for include, they could be for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations, producer-owned cooperatives, tribes and tribal entities. Private-owned entities must be independently owned and operated, and all entities must be domestically owned here in the United States, and the processing facility must also be physically located and operating in the United States or its territories.”

Applications will be accepted through August 7, 2026.