South Dakota receives $5 million grant for small meat processors

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Small meat processors in South Dakota received a big boost Thursday when state officials announced a $5 million grant aiming to help the industry.

Funding for the grant is made available through the state’s Coronavirus Relief Meat Processing Grant Program. It’s designed to provides processors with funds to make an immediate impact on the state’s ability to process or store South Dakota-raised protein.

Gov. Kristi Noem announced the grant at a media conference in Rapid City Thursday morning.

“As COVID-19 and the latest cyber attacks on JBS have shown, it is critical to have a resilient and diversified food supply chain,” Noem said. “Unfortunately, consolidation and anticompetitive practices in the meatpacking industry have made life difficult for South Dakota meat producers. This grant program will help us expand our processing operations, which will give more options for producers and consumers alike.”

The Meat Processing Grant program received more than 100 applications. Ninety-nine applications, including 16 new facilities and 83 existing facilities, were approved for funding with awards ranging from $9,000 to $108,207.

Final award letters will be mailed on June 4.