The National Association of State Agriculture Departments recommends flexibility in the $500 million dollars in American Rescue Plan funds for small and medium-sized meat processing facilities.
CEO Barb Glenn, in submitted comments, says NASDA encourages USDA to provide funding to all those processors, regardless of being federally inspected, state inspected, or a custom exempt processing facility.
She says state departments of agriculture play a central role in identifying and coordinating relationships and leading outreach and regulatory authority to state meat inspection facilities.
