USDA Announces $57 Million for Small and Mid-Sized Meat Processors

By Jason Vance Small and mid-sized meat processors across the country are expected to benefit from more than $57 million in tentative USDA funding aimed at expanding processing capacity and strengthening the nation’s meat supply chain. Vice President JD Vance announced the funding recently during a visit to Kansas as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). The proposed funding includes 147 awards across 40 states, with allocations of up to more than $57 million pending congressional allotment. USDA Rural Development administers the program. Under Secretary Glenn Smith said the initiative addresses a critical challenge facing livestock producers and consumers: limited access to smaller and intermediate meat processing facilities. “MEPEP is an answer to, in some cases, shortages of those small processors and intermediate processors,” Smith said.

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