Secretary Randy Romanski says there were state efforts that made positive agriculture-related changes for Wisconsin in the past year.
Wisconsin’s Meat Talent Development Program and the Meat Processor Grants were two initiatives where Governor Tony Evers allocated American Rescue Plan Act dollars to help local meat processors expand and grow to meet the needs of producers and consumers after COVID exposed supply chain problems with several large-scale packers. Romanski tells Brownfield, “Ten million dollars is going out to about 90 meat processors in the state so they can increase capacity and build resiliency.”
And, Romanski says an additional five million is being used to prepare the next generation of meat cutters through the Meat Talent Development Program. “Some of the schools already had some meat processing training programs, but this will give them the opportunity to have these programs in more of the technical colleges, so make them closer to those students who might be getting into those programs, or build out the programs.”
Romanski says the two meat-related programs and the dairy processor grants programs are good examples of investing money in the foundation of Wisconsin’s agriculture economy.
