Press Releases

In a House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee hearing today with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) shed light on challenges Maine farmers are facing amid meat processing backlogs. Pingree, a longtime farmer and member of both the House Agriculture Committee and House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee, asked Secretary Vilsack how funding in the FY2025 Appropriations bill will help USDA address these ongoing challenges farmers in Maine and across the country are facing. 

In the hearing, Pingree commended the Biden Administration’s efforts to invest in resilient meat and poultry supply chains. She cited $1 billion included the American Rescue Plan to expand independent processing capacity; the Local Meat Capacity Grant Program; and the Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program, which all support expanded meat processing in Maine. The Maine Congresswoman asked how USDA’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget request, which includes additional funding for meat processing programs could help address the backlogs affecting Maine.USDA Secretary Vilsack said there is another round of processing grants on their way to Maine farmers and said there would continue to be expanded processing capacity in the state within the next six months.

Click here to watch the Congresswoman’s remarks.

Pingree is working to include her Strengthening Local Processing Act to increase local meat processing options in the upcoming reauthorization of the Farm Bill.  Click here to learn more about Pingree’s Farm Bill priorities. 

In Congress, Pingree has distinguished herself as a strong supporter of organic and sustainable agriculture, authoring the landmark Agriculture Resilience Act, which sets a bold vision of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. agriculture by 2040. As the only House Agriculture Committee member who has on-the-ground experience as an organic farmer, Pingree is a voice for small family farmers and local agriculture producers during Farm Bill negotiations. Because of her leadership, the 2018 Farm Bill more than doubled funding for organic research, created the first federal produce prescription program, and created the local agriculture market program with permanent federal funding.

###