WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined several Senate and House colleagues this week to support a bill that would support America’s small meat and poultry processors and help strengthen and streamline their operations.
The Strengthening Local Processing Act would also give small meat processors more access to information critical to food safety planning; allow for more inspector-approved meat products to be sold across state lines; and funnel federal dollars toward training, education and technical assistance grants, according to a press release from Brown’s office.
“If we’re serious about fighting consolidation in the livestock sector, we need to invest in Ohio’s small processors that will help create jobs in their community, making our supply chain more resilient and bring down prices,” Brown said. “This legislation will bolster local production while providing education and training assistance to support the next generation of local processors across Ohio.”
Brown, the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly 50 years, has long been a leader for Ohio’s rural communities. Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, Brown held roundtables around Ohio to hear from farmers and rural communities about what they wanted to see in the bill and successfully secured several Ohio-specific provisions important to the state’s farmers. He has started hosting roundtables in Ohio to again hear from stakeholders about the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill, which Brown will help write.
