USDA awards $21K for food safety training
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday it will award 25 grants to 19 states and Puerto Rico to boost market opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
In the latest round of funding, the USDA has assigned $21,000 to the Agriculture Department, in cooperation with the University of Puerto Rico’s Food Safety Institute, to train meat, poultry and dairy producers and processors regarding food safety, quality protocols and best practices to assist them to develop comprehensive food safety plans to improve access to commercial markets.
Under the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program, the USDA is matching $1.3 million worth of state grants to state departments of agriculture, state agricultural experiment stations, and other agencies to assist in exploring new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products and to encourage research and innovation aimed at improving the marketing system, the agency noted.
“FSMIP provides our state partners with matching funds to explore new and innovative approaches to marketing U.S. food and agricultural products,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. “USDA supports state and local projects ranging from research to retail to ensure that quality American products are marketed efficiently and effectively.”
Other states receiving USDA funding include Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana and Massachusetts.
