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Senator Baldwin introduces new meat business innovation bill

The agriculture secretary at Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says a new bill in the U.S. Senate that provides grant and technical assistance to farmers, ranchers and processors in the U.S. meat industry shows promise.

“Any investment in the resiliency of the food supply chain is a good investment.”

Randy Romanski tells Brownfield “I look forward to seeing where it goes.”

Bill sponsor U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin says the legislation called the Meat Business Innovation Act of 2024 is modeled on the Dairy Business Innovation Act, which provides regional initiatives to assist with business planning, product innovation and modernizing plants.

Romanski says it’s been a successful program and Wisconsin would be a great location for this new initiative if Congress can pass the bill.

“We’ve got a really dynamic meat and biological sciences building on campus, but we can’t put the cart before the horse.”

The bill would authorize $30 million in annual appropriations and $30 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation.

Baldwin says the bill has support from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Association, and other ag groups.