USDA announced the creation of the Stand-Up Program last week during the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture’s Annual Meeting. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins shared the initiative would provide up to $50 million to help states join or expand federal-state meat inspection programs through the Cooperative Interstate Shipping (CIS) Program.
To be eligible to participate in the CIS Program, states must first operate under the State Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) Program. Currently, 30 states participate in the MPI Program, but only 11 of choose to take part in the CIS Program. As of now, Kansas only participates in the MPI Program. According to NCBA, high regulatory and compliance costs have been barriers to further state participation. Additionally, persistent labor challenges in the processing sector have continued to create uncertainty around efforts to diversify processing options for producers across the country.
While the announcement includes needed funding, NCBA believes USDA must make progress on the real and persistent hurdles state meat inspection programs face to support additional states’ participation.