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Grants awarded to 64 Nebraska meat processors

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture has announced 64 meat processing facilities will receive grants through the state’s new Independent Processor Assistance Program.

Ashley Kohls, VP of Government Affairs with Nebraska Cattlemen, says this first round of grant funding totals approximately $4.9 million. “We worked with the department of agriculture to put a framework together of what processors should quality for these programs. They should generate less than $2.5 million in sales revenue, and then also employ fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees.”

NDA says the grants are funded through the state’s portion of the American Rescue Plan Act.

Kohls says the program supports the growth of the state’s meat processing industry. “They are vitally important not just to rural communities, but to our members,” she said. “Helping them expand and grow in good ways is pretty important for Nebraska’s rural economy.”

NDA says a second round of grants will be allocated in the first half of 2023. In total, the department is making nearly $10 million available to small and medium-sized meat processors.