June 1, 2022

USDA NIFA to invest US$25 million for meat and poultry agriculture workforce training

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced that it will invest US$25 million, as part of the American Rescue Plan, for meat and poultry agriculture workforce training, USDA NIFA reported.

The investment will be made through new and existing workforce development programmes, providing a pipeline of well-trained workers to meet the demand for increased independent processing capacity.

Dr Dionne Toombs, acting NIDA director, said the investment will enhance equity and capacity across the food supply chain by supporting meat and poultry research, education and training at the local level.

Toombs said workforce training will increase the resiliency and competitiveness of our local and regional supply chains and support the industry's urgent need for highly skilled talent to meet labour demands across the country.

NIDA will invest in two funding opportunities: "Extension Risk Management Education and Sustainable Agriculture Research Education" programmes and "Community/Technical College Ag Workforce Training and Expanded Learning Opportunities".

US$5 million will be invested in "Extension Risk Management Education and Sustainable Agriculture Research Education" programmes to support development of meat and poultry processing training and educational materials for place-based needs, particularly relevant to small- or medium-sized farmers and ranchers.

Another US$20 million be channelled under the "Community/Technical College Ag Workforce Training and Expanded Learning Opportunities", where the investment will be available to qualified community colleges to support meat and poultry processing workforce development programmes.

-      USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture