USDA Grants to Further Strengthen Nebraska Meat and Poultry Supply Chains

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Wednesday announced an additional $21.9 million of funding is being awarded to 111 grant projects through the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant Program (MPIRG), bringing total funding to $54.6 million. This year's awards will fund projects in 37 states. The funding will help strengthen and develop new market opportunities for meat and poultry processors throughout the United States. To further these efforts, AMS is also encouraging MPIRG awardees and eligible participants in USDA's Meat and Poultry Supply Chain initiatives to request assistance through the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA). Launched in March 2022, MPPTA connects participants to a nationwide network of resources and expertise.

"The Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants will help meat and poultry processors make necessary facility improvements, expand their businesses, and strengthen the nation's food supply chain," said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. "These grants are one part of USDA's Meat and Poultry Supply Chain initiatives and will contribute to our efforts to transform our food system."

"USDA continues to build capacity and increase economic opportunity for small and midsized meat and poultry producers across the country," added Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt.

In Nebraska, projects funded this round include:

• BORCHARD CUSTOM CUT AND PROCESSING, LLC, Benkelman, $200,000. Borchard Custom Cut and Processing, LLC is a very small beef and pork slaughter and processing plant. Their facility is lacking modern equipment necessary to help achieve the USDA status needed to expand any further and comply with FSIS protocols. In this project, Borchard Custom Cut and Processing, LLC proposes modern, high-capacity equipment for processing and packaging. These efforts will result in substantial benefits for the business and local community.
• GENTERT PACKING COMPANY, Holstein, $200,000. Gentert Packing Company is a veteran-owned small slaughter and processing plant. Their annualized growth rate has recently been 175%. This facility is lacking modernization necessary to achieve the USDA status needed to expand and comply with FSIS protocols. In this project, Gentert Packing Company proposes hiring food safety experts to aid in inspection readiness and preparation that will involve various food safety and facility plans and improvements. Cold storage and freezer improvements will double capacity and provide compliance temperature requirements. With these improvements, they estimate an increase in production capacity to 988,000 pounds each year.

Facility improvements and expansions funded through MPIRG will help processors obtain a Federal Grant of Inspection or qualify for a state's Cooperative Interstate Shipment program. Achieving a Federal Grant of Inspection or operating under a Cooperative Interstate Shipment program allows meat and poultry processors to ship products across state lines, develop new markets, increase capacity, and better meet consumer and producer demand along the supply chain.

MPIRG recipients and other eligible participants, especially small and underserved stakeholders, in USDA's Meat and Poultry Supply Chain initiatives are encouraged to take advantage of the broad technical assistance offered through MPPTA. AMS has cooperative agreements with six organizations to form the MPPTA network, which has already provided valuable assistance to over 300 businesses and organizations across the U.S. and its territories since its launch earlier this year.