House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota along with several other of his colleagues have introduced the Requiring Assistance to Meat Processors for Upgrading Plants or RAMP UP Act legislation. The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association backs the bill. President Eric Jennings says this measure will make it possible for smaller meat processors to ship across state lines.
He says the RAMP UP Act authorizes federal grants of up to $100,000 for existing meat processors to become federally inspected.
Jennings says what needs to happen is to make sure there are more meat processors operating than they are currently.
There are two other measures floating in Congress that would address allowing state inspected meat to flow across state lines. One is being co-sponsored by South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson while another measure has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Mike Rounds.
