USDA Makes More Grants Available for Meat and Poultry Processors

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Acting Under Secretary Roger Glendenning today announced that USDA is making more funding available for meat and poultry processors to expand operations, transform the food supply chain and create new and better markets for producers.

This funding advances President Biden’s commitment to grow the economy from the bottom up and middle out by creating good-paying jobs and opportunities in every community.

“The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are committed to transforming our food system to one that creates new markets for our small and mid-sized farming and ranching operations while protecting opportunity in our rural communities for generations to come,” Glendenning said. “The funding we’re making available today to meat and poultry processors will not only give producers more options, but also create good paying jobs and build greater resilience in our overall food system.”

USDA is partnering with the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund to make available $123 million in grants through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program. The program is part of a series of actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to promote a fairer, more competitive and more resilient meat and poultry supply chain.

The grants will help independent businesses build and modernize processing facilities and equipment, adopt new technologies and train workers, among other activities.

Eligible projects may receive grants from $250,000 up to $10 million. Successful applicants must be able to cover 70% of their total project cost.

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov. 22, 2023. Details on eligibility and requirements are available on Grants.gov.

Background: Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program

The Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program provides grants to help eligible independent processors to expand their capacity. USDA Rural Development designed the program to encourage competition and sustainable growth in the U.S. meat processing sector and to help improve supply chain resiliency.

USDA already has awarded more than $200 million to independent businesses under the program. These projects have created thousands of jobs across the country. Learn more about USDA’s investments to strengthen the meat and poultry supply chain at usda.gov/meat.