Federal grants are offered to benefit meat processors; applications are available through July 19
For the meat and poultry processors looking to establish a stronger foothold in the market, a helping hand is offered in the form of several government grant programs designed specifically for this industry.
A United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant program has allocated up to $125 million to be awarded in grants through two specific programs: (1) the Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program ($50 million); and (2) the Local Meat Capacity Grant Program ($75 million).
The grants will invest in independent, local meat and poultry processing projects, and the application period remains open until July 19.
About the grants
$75 million is available to support meat and poultry processors with smaller-scale projects, encouraging innovation to help build resilience in the meat and poultry supply chain. These funds will provide producers with more local processing options, resulting in increased processing availability and variety for local and regional livestock producers. Additional details about this specific grant can be seen by viewing this link.
An additional $50 million is available for the improvement of the tribal nations’ food and agricultural supply chain resiliency by developing and expanding infrastructure related to meat from indigenous animals, including bison, reindeer, and salmon. Theprogram will fund projects expanding local capacity for harvesting, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, or distributing indigenous meats. More detail about the grant program is available by clicking on this link.
Why these grants are important
Here’s why this matters. Approximately 70% of all meat in the national supply chain comes from one of the “big four” producers – Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS S.A. and National Beef Packing. The pandemic taught us all that supply chains can be fragile and susceptible to interruptions beyond our control. If there were to be a problem with any of the big producers resulting in product delay, the repercussions could be extremely serious.
These grants can potentially minimize that possibility by opening up the market to new producers. The smaller plants have an opportunity to expand their businesses while also strengthening the supply chain. These funds can help to level the playing field in the market and give smaller companies more of a competitive edge.
The grant program was launched earlier this year, and there are already some companies that have taken advantage of the opportunity. One is a South Dakota meat processing company that earned a $3.3 million grant to get its company started. There are numerous additional examples of how grant funds are already helping businesses.
Additional information can be found on the Agriculture Marketing Service’s webpage. Any meat or poultry processor who hasn’t yet looked into this grant program should do so. Remember that there is a deadline of July 19.
How Cherry’s Industrial Equipment helps meat and poultry processors
Several customers have told us they are interested in using some of the grant funds for purchasing equipment to assist in their production and processing and have asked how we can help.
Grant money can be used for production equipment and other equipment dedicated to ergonomics and safety.
We specialize in warehouse solutions that support meat and poultry processors, improve warehouse efficiencies and reduce worker injury risk.
Instead of workers spending 8 hours a day stacking and re-stacking 50-pound boxes, where the chances of back injuries increase dramatically, a machine can do the heavy work and improve workplace safety. Many meat and poultry processors may additionally find the PSR and other solutions like it attractive in combating the labor shortage that so many in the industry face.
Other solutions that can boost the efficiency of a meat or poultry processing plant include an automatic stretch wrapper, which can pre-stretch the material and help prevent load shifting on the pallet, as well as a lift table, which lifts and tilts to provide the ideal level for palletizing. Each processing plant has unique needs, and our solutions are custom designed for each need.
What you can do
If you are in the meat and poultry processing business, don’t overlook this opportunity! The links in this article will provide information on how to apply and some tips on preparing your application. And there is a website that offers technical assistance and guidance on the application process. It’s worth noting that, with some research, you may find additional grant opportunities at the state level, such as the Utah Workplace Safety Grant Application. Check with your local state, as Utah has a great link, for instance.
The USDA lending program is also available. Fully backed by the US government for small, medium, and larger companies.
https://www.rd.usda.gov/food-supply-chain-guaranteed-loans/frequently-asked-questions
Please contact us to see how we can help you. We can discuss practical solutions for your processing plant that will improve speed and efficiencies, provide greater safety and stronger ergonomics, and improve workflow and use of loading dock space.
If you’d like to discuss this further, please contact Cherry’s Industrial Equipment Corporate Account Manager, Meat and Poultry, Greg Hamlin at 847-354-6128 or email [email protected].
We’re here to help!