North Carolina grants support expanded meat processing capacity
Grants support increasing processing capacity, reducing bottlenecks and keeping more agricultural value within North Carolina.
North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announces $3.9 million in grants that focus on the expansion of meat processors, value-added manufacturers and farmers in North Carolina.
The intent of the N.C. Agriculture Manufacturing and Processing Initiative (NCAMPI) is to strengthen North Carolina’s agricultural economy by advancing value‑added processing opportunities, recruiting and supporting facilities that address geographic and commodity gaps, and providing targeted funding to help create or expand manufacturing operations that increase jobs, enhance local tax bases, reduce costs and improve profitability for the state’s farmers and growers.
Ten projects totaling $3.9 million in awards were approved. Seven of those projects are related to meat production and account for $3.1 million of the grant total. Three additional projects are focused on cider processing, automated seafood processing and rice storage.
“The goal of NCAMPI is to upgrade and support local processing operations, strengthen the agricultural supply chain and open new channels for North Carolina farmers,” said Troxler. “By increasing our in-state capacity for food processing and agricultural manufacturing, we’re ensuring that more of the value created from our commodities stays here at home, benefiting our farmers and communities.”
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services administers the NCAMPI program with funding provided by the N.C. General Assembly.
Grant recipients include:
- Blue Ridge Processing, McDowell County -- $451,630 for meat processing
- Caudle Meat, Greene County -- $189,470 for meat processing
- East Coast Solutions, Halifax County -- $681,680 for meat processing
- Fulcher’s Seafood, Pamlico County -- $463,890 for wild-caught seafood processing
- Piedmont Custom Meats, Caswell and Randolph counties -- $761,810 for meat processing
- Stevens Sausage Co., Johnston County -- $188,127 for meat processing
- Villari Food Group, Duplin County -- $800,000 for meat processing
- Windy River Meats, Wilkes County -- $78,983 for meat processing
Source: North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
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