Seeds planted over the past two years with the Biden Administration’s billion-dollar commitment to foster a more resilient, diverse, and equitable meat and poultry processing system are now beginning to sprout across the country and U.S. Territories:
- A cooperative of Montana ranchers is purchasing and expanding a processing facility that was on the verge of closing;
- Muslim producers in Maine are developing a new regional halal processing and marketing enterprise;
- several tribally-led initiatives are building processing facilities to strengthen their food security; and
- a producers’ co-op in Puerto Rico that supplies roasting hogs for restaurants is expanding to supply local retailers with fresh, locally grown pork.
The American Rescue Plan (H.R. 1319, 117th Congress ) provided most of the funding for these programs. However, the demand for these resources has far too often outstripped the available funding.
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