Expanded Meat Processing Capacity Sought By White House Action Plan

The Meat and Poultry Supply Chain Action Plan released earlier this week by the White House calls for additional funds to promote the development and expansion of more processing facilities.  Ethan Lane, vice president of government affairs with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says the plan will allocate $1 billion to the cause, with the hope that it’ll support multiple parts of the industry.

Lane says the impact of the new funds won’t be immediate, as it would take at least 18 months for any new facility to open.

The White House’s plan announced Monday also calls for support for workers at independent plants, stronger consumer and farmer protections, and increased enforcement of anti-competition laws including the Packers and Stockyards Act.  USDA and the Department of Justice plan to develop and roll out over the next month a portal to field complaints of anti-competitive behavior in the meatpacking industry.