The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute is accepting grant applications for up to $500,000 to be used to start a mobile meat slaughter unit program in collaboration with Minnesota’s two-year colleges.
Consumers are projected to eat a record amount of meat, so there must be a steady supply of available protein. However, industry consolidation has reduced the amount of packers to a handful of dominant players, and federal regulations are so strict that some companies are closing down or exiting the slaughter side of the business.
A recent report by the New York Times pointed out the decline in the number of slaughterhouses in the country - there were 908 slaughterhouses in 2008, down from 1,211 in 1992 - and the affect it has had on the farming community.
