USDA Invests Over $7M to Expand Texas Meat Processing Capacity, Strengthen Competition and Support American Ranchers

(Temple, Texas, November 4, 2026) - 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 over $7 million for 10 Texas 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.

"On behalf of the Trump Administration and Secretary Brooke Rollins, I am proud to announce 10 MPPEP grants for meat processors across Texas. These investments will help processors expand their businesses, improve efficiency, and increase capacity, strengthening the entire supply chain from ranch to table. By supporting independent and regional meat processors, these grants will help increase competition in the marketplace, create additional processing options for livestock producers, and strengthen the resilience of our nation's food supply. USDA Rural Development is committed to supporting our ranchers, creating opportunities in rural communities, and ensuring American beef remains a staple on tables across the country," said USDA Rural Development Texas State Director James Redfield.

In Texas, the following processors have received MPPEP grants:

• Rowena Packing, LLC of Rowena, Texas, will receive a $939,496 grant to help purchase equipment and expand its harvest capacity and integrate that harvest into further processing operations. Rowena Packing LLC is a federally inspected facility in central-western Texas. Rowena Packing will purchase hot water generation and refrigeration equipment for the facility and the expanded processing is expected to result in the creation of 69 new full-time jobs.
• MTX Beef, LLC of Mason, Texas, will receive a $761,163 grant to help to expand beef offal processing capacity and develop new value-added products while reducing waste and improving operational efficiency. Grant funds will be used to purchase containers and equipment for processing and packaging. The project will enable MTX Beef to market additional products while increasing processing capacity and creating new revenue opportunities.
• Local Cuts Meat Company, LLC of Zephyr, Texas, will receive a$1,032,800 grant to purchase and install equipment for harvest, fabrication, and value-added processing to increase processing capacity by 50%. Local Cuts Meat Company is a USDA-inspected facility that offers high-quality processing services to independent ranchers and producers in Texas, Oklahoma, and other surrounding states. The company's mission is to increase processing access and deliver superior services to ranchers and producers seeking an alternative to the dominant meat processing companies in the United States, and to support the growing ranch-to-table movement in their regional food system.
• Fort Worth Meat Packers, LLC of Fort Worth, Texas, will receive a$1,800,000 grant to help purchase, install, integrate, and commission equipment across its processing line. Fort Worth Meat Packers, LLC is a federally inspected beef facility specializing in Kosher production. The company expects to increase production while creating more than 140 full-time jobs as a result of this project.
• Tejas Premium Meats, LLC of Itasca, Texas, will receive a $1,538,719 grant to help purchase and install equipment which will expand the facility's further-processing capacity. Tejas Premium Meats, LLC is a USDA-inspected beef processor operating as a 100% fee-for-service processor. The company anticipates a 57% increase in its further processing output as a result of this project.
• Hometown Meat Market, LLC of Luling, Texas, will receive a $417,738 grant to help expand further processing capacity by upgrading the company's smokehouse and related processing and packaging operations. Hometown Meat Market, LLC is a USDA-inspected facility that primarily processes cattle and hogs for toll customers and for commercial sale. Approximately 89% of the cattle it processes belong to independent producers who retain ownership through the retail case. As a result of this project, the company expects to run 25% more head of beef through its facility and double the number of producers served.
• Ray Foods, LLC, dba Wiatrek's Meat Market of Floresville, Texas, will receive a $249,999 grant tomodernize and expand its meat processing operations by purchasing upgraded equipment. These improvements will help the facility increase throughput, serve more producers, expand retail and wholesale sales, and strengthen the local meat supply chain.
• I O Ranch Processing, LLC of Evant, Texas, will receive a $146,658 grant toexpand meat processing capacity by removing cold-storage bottlenecks that limit harvest volume. Grant funds will be used to purchase equipment to support higher volumes of value-added products, and enable the facility to serve more livestock producers while increasing annual cattle and hog processing capacity.
• Huse Processing, Inc., of Malone, Texas, will receive a $217,817 grant to modernize its packaging and value-added processing operations with new equipment. These upgrades will enable the facility to access new retail and foodservice markets, increase processing capacity, and provide local ranchers and producers with improved packaging services and additional opportunities to market higher-value beef products.
• Cobb's Meat, Inc., of Sumner, Texas, will receive a $151,832 grant to increase processing capacity, improve production efficiency, and expand value-added product offerings at its meat processing facility. Equipment upgrades will increase processing speed and product quality, support the production of new products such as bone broth and tallow, expand storage capacity, create additional employment opportunities, and enable the facility to serve more toll-processing and retail customers.

MPPEP is managed by USDA Rural Development's Rural Business-Cooperative Service 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.

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 www.rd.usda.gov, subscribe for updates, and follow us on X at @rd_texas.

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