By DAVID PITT
Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) â The federal government promised Friday to spend $500 million to encourage the construction of smaller meat processing plants located closer to farmers who raise chickens, pigs and cows with the goal of diversifying an industry now largely run by a small number of large corporations.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the program in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in addition to another $150 million to be used for existing small processing facilities with unexpected costs. The goal is to help them recover from the coronavirus pandemic and compete better in the marketplace.
Vilsack said he wants to improve profitability for livestock farmers and better serve consumers who increasingly want to know where and how farm animals are raised.
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