U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today welcomed
\napproval by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) of Oregon’s
\nrules and regulations for a state meat inspection program that meets USDA
\nest\u00e1ndares<\/p>\n
The USDA approval follows a letter from Wyden and Merkley to
\nAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, as well as months of follow-up and
\ndiscussion, pressing for a review of the state meat inspection program. The
\nOregon senators noted in their letter that large meat packing facilities have
\nbeen hurt by the pandemic and left unable to process livestock, putting Oregon
\nfarmers and ranchers at risk of losing their businesses, and families unable to
\nhave access to affordable food.<\/p>\n
“Today’s announcement is great news for Oregon farmers
\nand ranchers as well as for Oregon consumers facing the uncertainty of supply
\nchain disruptions driving up the costs at the grocery store for our state’s
\nworld-renowned beef,” Wyden said. “This USDA approval will open up
\nmore processing options for our state’s hard-working agricultural producers,
\nhelping them to build on the strengths of their local small businesses that
\ngenerate jobs and economic activity in rural communities throughout
\nOregon.”<\/p>\n
“This announcement is great news for Oregonians,”
\nsaid Senator Merkley. “This approval will help Oregon farmers and ranchers
\nprocess their livestock locally and provide affordable food to all Oregonians.
\nOur ranchers and farmers are vital to a strong economy in Oregon, and I am
\nhappy to see that the USDA approved Oregon\u2019s meat inspection program.”<\/p>\n
The agreement between the USDA\u2019s Food Safety and Inspection
\nService and Oregon lets the state program inspect meat products produced for
\nshipment within the state. Under the cooperative agreement, the state
\ninspection program must develop, administer, and enforce requirements “at
\nleast equal to” those imposed under the Federal Meat Inspection Act.<\/p>\n
“The approval of the State of Oregon\u2019s Meat Inspection
\nprogram is nothing short of AMAZING for the potential it brings for our farmers
\nand ranchers across our state for processing and increased economic
\nopportunities within our state,” said Lauren Henderson, Deputy Director
\nfor the Oregon Department of Agriculture. “This effort has been in the
\nmaking for several years and is a result of collaborative work between our
\nfederal delegation, state and local officials, and our agricultural partners.<\/p>\n
“This is great news for Oregon ranchers who will now
\nhave more options for selling their cattle into markets. This is a great value
\nadd to beef raised in Oregon,” said State Rep. Mark Owens (R-Crane).
\n“During COVID, it became evident that our meat processing infrastructure
\nlacked the flexibility we needed. We need to keep our rural ag producers in
\nbusiness, and feed hungry Oregonians. I want to personally thank both our
\nSenators for their continued advocacy for rural Oregon communities.”<\/p>\n
“I appreciate Senators Wyden and Merkley for their
\nassistance with USDA\u2019s regulation and rulemaking for Oregon\u2019s State Meat
\nInspection Program,” said State Representative David Brock Smith (R-Port
\nOrford). “Having drafted the state bill back in the ’17 Legislative
\nSession, Covid exposed the protein supply chain issues across the country.
\nWorking with legislative leadership, I was able to redraft the bill and move HB
\n4206 during the first Special Session of 2020, which passed both chambers
\nunanimously. I\u2019m grateful for Assistant Director Henderson and ODA staff for
\nall of their fantastic work as well as Rep. Owens and my colleagues for their
\nsupport. This will be a game changer for Oregon ranchers and assist them in
\nproviding locally sourced beef, lamb and protein to consumers across the State
\nof Oregon,”<\/p>\n
“The signing today between the USDA and the State of
\nOregon of the Cooperative Agreement for State Meat Inspection is definitely a
\nmonumental positive milestone in the pursuit of food security and
\nsustainability for Oregonians,” said long=time Eastern Oregon rancher
\nCurtis Martin, board member and treasurer of the Oregon Beef Council.
\n“This agreement is a critical step towards locally sourced meat protein
\nbeing more available to our great Oregon consumers and customers. Oregon beef
\nand meat producers raise the highest quality protein, and this partnership will
\nhelp provide the increased economy, transparency from growers, plus reliability
\nwith sustainable pricing to consumers. I tremendously appreciate Oregon’s
\nlegislative team for the long endurance it has taken to finally achieve this
\ntotally positive, proactive agreement after decades of trying to make it
\nhappen. As an Oregon grassroots beef producer, I extend my utmost, heartfelt
\nthanks to the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Senators Wyden and Merkley,
\ntheir staff and all who persevered to see this through. A great accomplishment,
\nfor sure.”<\/p>\n
“I appreciate any options to connect producers with
\nconsumers and introduce competitiveness into the marketplace,” said
\nthird-generation Gilliam County rancher Tom Rietmann. “Processing closer
\nto our ranches has a lower carbon footprint and it\u2019s better for the cattle. In
\nmy situation, having more timely access to processing would have saved me
\nthousands of dollars this year. Better access to meat processing facilities is
\na win-win for everyone.”<\/p>\n
“This program is a huge win, decades in the
\nmaking,” said Susannah Morgan, Oregon Food Bank CEO. “This program
\nmarks a major milestone for community agriculture in Oregon, and will benefit
\nall Oregonians \u2013 most notably those among us facing hunger by addressing
\nclimbing food prices and creating pathways for local producers to donate meat
\nto the Oregon Food Bank Network. By reducing systemic barriers and increasing
\naccess to food, we can ensure our communities have the food they need to not
\nonly survive but thrive.”<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today welcomed approval by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) of Oregon’s rules and regulations for a state meat inspection program that meets USDA standards. The USDA approval follows a letter from Wyden and Merkley to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, as well as months of follow-up and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-in-the-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n