U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Indiana Deputy State Director Curtis Johnson announced today that USDA is awarding a $923,864 grant to a meat processor in Indiana to increase processing capacity and create jobs in rural areas. This marks the final investment in the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP), funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which was first launched in 2022.
“Fisher Packing Company will expand their processing capacity, meet consumer demand, and create 20 new full-time jobs, benefiting 1150 local producers,” Johnson said. “The USDA's support for rural Hoosiers through programs like MPPEP exemplifies a commitment to fostering economic growth and job creation in our local communities.”
The USDA funding will help expand Fisher Packing Company’s slaughter and value-added processing capacity at two locations: in Pennville, they will obtain inspection under the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program, and in Redkey they will expand their further processing capacity under USDA inspection. It will also help them meet the consumer request for value-added products of items such as bacon and beef sticks. These investments will lead to the creation of 20 new full-time jobs and serve an additional 1150 local producers.
Delivering on Fair, Competitive, and Transparent Markets
MPPEP is one of many actions that USDA is taking to expand processing capacity, create more revenue streams and market opportunities for producers, and improve the competitive landscape in food and agricultural markets. Under President Biden’s historic Executive Order on Promoting Competition in America’s Economy and as set out in our competition report, USDA has led a whole-of-USDA approach and partaken in a whole-of-government initiative to improve the competitive landscape in food and agricultural markets.
USDA has invested over $1.4 billion to support new or expanded small-sized and medium-sized processing facilities and to create a more resilient, diverse and secure U.S. food supply chain. Additional information on all these programs is available at www.usda.gov/meat. In addition, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has been holding small plant roundtables to assist small businesses with federal regulations. Between 2023 and 2024, 11 roundtables were held to provide an opportunity for communication and to help small plant owners and operations be successful.
USDA is also supporting greater transparency in markets, and in February 2024, finalized a new rule that only permits the voluntary “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” claim to be applied to those FSIS-regulated meat and poultry products that are derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States, which better aligns with consumer understanding of what the label means.
In the last three and a half years, USDA has put forth a suite of critical new rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 to promote transparency in contracting and tournaments; address unfairness and deception in broiler grower payments; poultry grower ranking systems and capital improvement systems; prohibit discrimination, retaliation, and deception in a range of circumstances; and provide better clarity around unfair practices and competitive injury. With two final rules, two more proposed rules and more on the way, USDA is reinvigorating the century-old fair and competitive market laws to empower producers and growers.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, promoting competition and fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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