The USDA revealed Wednesday the availability of up to $125 million through two grant programs that will create more options for meat and poultry farmers by investing in independent, local meat and poultry processing projects that increase competition and enhance the resiliency of the food supply chain.
“This is the latest step in USDA’s transformational work to fill gaps and help small and underserved producers market their products, support thriving local and regional food systems by investing in processing capacity that’s closer to farms and alleviate major bottlenecks in food and agricultural supply chains,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a statement. “Importantly, we’re also taking steps to increase the overall availability of protein from indigenous animals like bison, reindeer, and salmon, which have been the backbone of tribal food systems for generations.”
The Indigenous Animals Harvesting program will provide up to $50 million to improve tribal nations’ food and agricultural supply chain resiliency by developing and expanding infrastructure related to meat from indigenous animals like bison, reindeer, or salmon. The program will fund projects that focus on expanding local capacity for the harvesting, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, or distribution of indigenous meats.
“For too long, Native American farmers and ranchers have been asked to produce more to meet increasing demand across the country and around the world, while they and the tribal communities they come from have struggled to see their fair share of the benefits,” said USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small in a statement. “Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is proud to offer this investment in tribal nations’ food chain resiliency as a part of USDA’s broader efforts to restore indigenous foodways. By expanding and enhancing local processing capacity, these projects will provide culturally appropriate food and community food security to tribal communities.”
The Local Meat Capacity Grant program will provide up to $75 million to fund projects designed to build resilience in the meat and poultry supply chain by providing producers with more local processing options and strengthening their market potential. It supports meat and poultry processors with smaller-scale projects to increase processing availability and variety for local and regional producers.
The Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program and the Local Meat Capacity Grant Program are part of the broader $1 billion American Rescue Plan investment by the Biden-Harris Administration to expand processing capacity for small and midsized meat and poultry processors.
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