Letter to Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture - Mullin Leads Letter Urging USDA to Increase Number of Meat Inspectors, Offers Long-Term Solution to Biden Administration's Meat Pricing Plan

Letter

Dear Secretary Vilsack,
We write to you today in response to the recent announcement from the Biden Administration
regarding their plan to increase competition in the meat and poultry supply chain. We appreciate
that the administration is finally acknowledging the rising price of meat for consumers and the
need for more competition in the meat packing industry.

We agree on the importance of expanding independent processing capacity. This is a step that is
critical to lowering meat prices for families and helping small businesses thrive. While the
Administration's proposed, $1 billion plan looks nice on its face, it is only a short-term fix. As
soon as the money from this plan dries up, we will be back to square one with small producers
struggling to keep up with large producers. A long-term solution is necessary to give these small
and independent processors the certainty they need to operate their businesses long after this
grant funding is no longer available.

As you know, the USDA inspection process is an integral part of this industry. Federal inspectors
must be present at all times during the slaughter operations and for at least part of the shift where
meat products are processed. For small and independent processors to thrive, USDA must
increase the number of meat inspectors available. This can be achieved through the direct hiring
of more USDA inspectors or through cooperative agreements with state inspection programs.

There are currently many vacancies for federal meat inspectors and numerous comments from
the Request for Information (RFI) mention the need for more inspectors. Even if small meat
processors receive grants to expand their facilities, they will not be able to help the supply chain
if they do not have access to inspectors to inspect their product and get it to market.

We all can agree that food safety is of the utmost importance to both producers and consumers. If
small and independent processors want to make headway into the market, they need access to
more inspectors so they can quickly and safely get their products to market. With the announced
plan, how will the Administration address the need for more meat inspectors? The small and
independent processors in our districts and across the country deserve certainty.

We ask that you please address these concerns by February 15, 2022 and we look forward to
hearing from you on this important issue.

Sincerely,[...]