SALEM, ORE. – The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) recently announced it would be taking applications for the Oregon Meat Processing Infrastructure and Capacity Building Grant until March 23.
The 2021 Oregon Legislature approved $2 million in funding for this project.
“These critical resources will expand Oregon’s regional meat processing capacity and strengthen our food supply chain from disruptions we saw early on in the pandemic,” said Alexis Taylor, director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. “I am excited to see the proposals we receive which will support our rural economies, open new markets for Oregon products, and connect local consumers with local producers and products.”
Grant awards for each application will be capped at $500,000 for meat processing facilities and equipment investment. ODA said it anticipates requests exceeding available funds.
The program is available for meat processing that falls into one of three categories:
- Companies planning to expand meat processing capacity to include animals raised in Oregon and operate under the State Meat Inspection Program.
- Companies looking to build a new establishment to process animals raised in Oregon and follow the state program.
- Any official federal establishment operating under USDA inspection that plans to increase meat processing from animals raised in Oregon.
Along with the grant, ODA has completed a draft plan to start a State Meat Inspection Program that is expected to begin in July 2022. The state’s program will be equal to USDA in all its requirements.
For more information on the grant, ODA is encouraging people to visit the Oregon Meat Initiative website.
