U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff strengthens Georgia's meat industry with new USDA fund

U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D) announced on Wednesday that The Georgia Meat and Poultry Revolving Loan Fund will allow food processors to support and grow their operations. It also aims to reduce the price of meat at grocery stores.

 

U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D) and a bipartisan group of Georgia’s Congressional Delegation worked to secure this $7.5 million fund through the United States Department of Agriculture. 

 

This push came after Ossoff visited Gainesville in June to speak with Georgia Agricultural Commissioner Gary Black (R), Georgia Poultry Federation President Mike Giles and agricultural leaders in Gainesville about strengthening the agricultural workforce.

 

“Georgia farmers have demanded access to more meat and poultry processing options,” Ossoff said in a release. “We have succeeded in securing USDA funds to finance new processors that will serve Georgia farmers. I will continue working every day to support Georgia agriculture, and I thank Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black for his help with this effort.”

 

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Ossoff and others emphasized the need for domestically produced beef, poultry and pork as prices increase. 

 

“Given Georgia is the national leader in poultry production and is rapidly growing in both beef and pork production, we believe our state is an essential link in the food supply chain. The USDA Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program will be critical in helping to launch some of these desperately needed facilities,” the letter stated.

 

U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 2nd District Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. commended the bipartisan cooperation in the release.

 

“This is a great example of Democrats and Republicans coming together to help Georgia’s livestock producers,” Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. said. “Today’s $7.5 million from USDA to establish the Georgia Meat and Poultry Revolving Loan Fund will increase access to capital for meat processors who want to start or expand processing capacity right here at home. More local processing options strengthen our supply chain and help create greater, free-market competition within the industry that can ultimately lower costs at the grocery store for Americans.”