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House Ag Committee members hear the need for a stronger food supply chain

USDA’s Undersecretary for Rural Development says investments that strengthen the food supply chain will create new markets for farmers and ranchers.

 Xochitl Torres Small says the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program works with lenders to finance start-up or expansion projects for manufacturing, distribution or processing. “It’s provided a chance for us to work more in an area that allows farmers and ranchers to build local markets and diversify their work.”

During a Farm Bill hearing Tuesday, Torres told House Ag Subcommittee members USDA continues to provide marketing assistance for producers and companies. “Identifying middle market projects that are very close competition.  How can we support that last step of investment to get them online and operating?

And she said, “What we’re looking at now is how do we expand existing services so that people have options. So that farmers have options as do people in the supermarket.”

Torres Small made her remarks during a 2022 Review of the Farm Bill: Rural Development hearing with the Ag subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy and Credit.

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