COLUMBUS, OHIO — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted granted $15 million to 75 Ohio meat processors. These funds are intended to help strengthen the local meat supply chain and reduce reliance on out-of-state meat processors.

Grant funding will be used to implement processing efficiencies, expand or construct facilities at existing sites, assist in training and certification and improve harvest services.

Each company will receive a grant of up to $250,000, with half of the funds disbursed before projects are started and the other half awarded after the companies show that the initial funds were spent responsibly.

“Meat processors have struggled with the supply chain issues that have also impacted other industries,” Husted said. “These grants will help meat processors increase productivity, which means they can increase the supply and lower costs for the consumer.”

These grants are the second round of funding offered through the Ohio Meat Processing Grant Program. With their partnership with the Ohio General Assembly, in April, DeWine and Husted increased the amount of available funding available through the program from $10 million to $25 million after the need for grants exceeded the initial funding amount. 

The grants announced today total $14,985,237 and will be awarded to meat processors in 45 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Including funds awarded in the first round, meat processors in 53 Ohio counties received grants totaling $24,978,289.

“I’m happy that we’ve now been able to help every qualifying meat processor who applied for assistance,” DeWine said. “Meat processors are essential to ensuring that our grocery stores and restaurants have protein available to feed Ohio families.”

The Ohio Department of Development administered the Ohio Meat Processing Grant Program in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

“We are working to get these funds into the hands of processors as soon as possible,” said Lydia Mihalik, Ohio Department of Development director. “Ohio’s meat processors are eager to implement their plans to improve operations, and we want to help them get started quickly.”

“Ohio’s meat and poultry processors are a critical component of Ohio’s food and agriculture industry,” said Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda. “These funds will help our processors do a more efficient job at what they do best – provide safe and wholesome products for our consumers.”