The Minnesota State Agriculture Department is helping livestock producers and processors address current challenges caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. State Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen says prior to the pandemic some farmers were selling directly to smaller processing plants and now with the pandemic spreading consumers have been purchasing from farmers directly 4 to 5 times more than normally. He says his department is moving up state inspections and starting grant programs to assist the smaller processors.

He says the Minnesota Ag Department has several options available for those needing processing and more information on that can be accessed at their website.

Petersen says what’s unfortunate is that there’s a large backlog of animals that need to be processed and some producers have been forced to euthanize their herds. He says so far, less than 10,000 animals have been euthanized.

Petersen says the Ag Department is also developing an expedited process to enable plants that currently do not sell wholesale within the state to do so. If these establishments meet the minimum requirements they’ll be granted a 90 day provisional grant of inspection.