(Washington, DC) — The Biden administration is providing another 800 million dollars to support smaller-scale beef, pork, and poultry plants and is establishing a new tipline for whistleblowers from the meatpacking industry. U-S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the goal with this new batch of federal grants and loans is to invest in at least 15 small packing plants and to take steps to recruit and train new workers for the industry. Iowa Farm Bureau president Brent Johnson participated in the White House meeting. Johnson urged the president to work with Iowa’s congressional delegation on a price transparency bill to ensure farmers are paid an honest price for their cattle, hogs, and poultry. Several of the Iowans who serve in the U.S. Senate and House said via Twitter that they were pleased to see the bipartisan bill was highlighted during Monday’s summit.
