USDA Invests More Than $470,000 to Expand New York Meat Processing Capacity, Strengthen Competition and Support Ranchers

Recently, Vice President J.D. Vance and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced that processors in 40 states would receive $57 million through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP), this includes $473,271 for two New York processors to expand their capacity and create new and better markets.

"Under President Trump, this administration is delivering for the men and women who feed our nation. Now that these funds are moving, ranchers will have more options close to home, more competition will return to the market, and more of the value of American-raised beef will stay in rural communities," said Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins.

"The USDA's Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program is delivering real results for New York by increasing processing capacity, supporting good-paying jobs, and creating new opportunities for agricultural producers," said Rural Development New York State Director Richard Mayfield. "These investments are helping build a stronger, more competitive food supply chain that benefits farmers, businesses, and consumers alike."

In New York, the following processors have received MPPEP grants:

• Trinity Meat Company will use $242,442 in grant funds to expand beef processing and distribution capacity by purchasing a 14,000-cubic-foot freezer, a second vacuum packaging machine, a high-throughput patty machine, and HVAC equipment for the harvest room. The project will eliminate packaging and cold-storage bottlenecks, improve worker safety and efficiency, and support the company's transition from primarily custom processing to supplying New York-raised and processed beef to institutional markets, including SUNY campuses and state correctional facilities. These investments will increase throughput, improve inventory management, and enable Trinity to process and market significantly more beef while creating additional jobs and producer opportunities.
  
• Schrader Farms will use $230,829 in grant funds to modernize harvest-floor and carcass-handling operations through the purchase of specialized processing equipment, including carcass-handling, animal-flow, sanitation, and rail-system components. The project will improve operational efficiency, food safety, sanitation, worker safety, and product flow while reducing processing bottlenecks. By upgrading critical slaughter and processing functions, Schrader Farms will increase annual livestock throughput, expand further-processing capacity, and serve more toll-processing customers. These improvements will help the facility better meet growing demand for USDA-inspected processing services and strengthen processing access for regional livestock producers.

MPPEP is managed by USDA Rural Development's Rural Business-Cooperative Services and provides grants to help eligible independent processors expand their capacity. USDA Rural Development designed the program to encourage competition and sustainable growth in the United States meat processing sector and improve supply chain resiliency.

USDA has awarded more than $200 million to independent businesses under the MPPEP program. These projects have created thousands of jobs across the country. Learn more about USDA's investments to strengthen the meat and poultry supply chain at usda.gov/meat .

For more information on USDA Rural Development investments in rural America, visit the Rural Data Gateway . The Rural Data Gateway is an online tool that strengthens USDA Rural Development partnerships with rural people, entrepreneurs, government officials and Congress by making Rural Development's investment data accessible to the public. For more information about USDA Rural Development programs, visit http://www.rd.usda.gov .

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