The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) held its 97th Annual
Agricultural Forum (Forum) on Feb. 24-25, 2022. This Farm Bill blog
provides five key takeaways from the Forum.
1. USDA Is Using COVID-19 Relief and Bipartisan Infrastructure
Law (BIL) Funding to Invest in U.S. Supply Chain
Infrastructure
From ports to meat-packing facilities, the COVID-19 pandemic
exposed weaknesses in United States agricultural infrastructure. To
overcome these shortfalls, the USDA has begun investing heavily in
infrastructure that gets products to the domestic and foreign
market quicker and ensures a return on investment for U.S. farmers,
ranchers, producers and food processors.
Most recently, the USDA announced a $215 million investment in small-
and medium-sized meat and poultry processing facilities in an
effort to strengthen the food supply chain, create jobs and bolster
rural economies. Of these funds, $150 million is available through
competitive grants to fund startup and
