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NCBA pleased with USDA’s next investments in processing capacity
The USDA recently announced another round of funding to continue its efforts to strengthen the meat and poultry processing sectors.
Tanner Beymer, Director of Government Affairs and Market Regulatory Policy, with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says this announcement is a step in the right direction. “Building a facility or expanding new hooks, that’s only part of the equation,” he says. “There needs to be a good business model associated with some of these packing facilities. They need to have access to a strong and robust labor pool.”
He tells Brownfield $40 million has been allocated for workforce retention, recruitment, and training. “Making sure that those employees on the line are handling that product in as safe and efficient a manner as possible,” he says. “Retaining that workforce, which has been very difficult in the last several years.”
Beymer says increasing shackle space is critical to the cattle industry, but the investment can’t stop there. “Making sure that there’s a good line, whether that’s wholesale or retail, or maybe even food service, some sort of a line to market that product,” he says. “And maintain those relationships with your customers. That is going to be really the sign that this is working very well.”
Of the $215 million, $150 million is available through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program and grants of up to $25 million will be available to offset costs of construction, expansion, and acquisition of equipment. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will allocate $40 million to existing workforce development and the USDA is also making $25 million available through the MPPEP for technical assistance.
AUDIO: Tanner Beymer, NCBA