Tag Archives: Cattle Industry

Capacity grants for local meat processors now available

OLYMPIA… During the height of the COVID pandemic, State Sen. Judy Warnick worked to secure funding for a bourgeoning and much needed alternative to large meat processing facilities who were hit hard by the virus. Closures around the country led to shocks in the meat supply causing prices to spike and supply to plummet. In 2020, industry experts estimated that meat production, particularly of beef and pork, dropped 30 percent.

Warnick, R-Moses Lake, sponsored Senate Bill 5045, which the Senate approved, but the legislation died in the House. She was able to work the proposal into the state’s 2021-2023 budget which established a grant program to increase access to meat and poultry processing and inspection opportunities.

Now, the state Department of Agriculture has announced the grant application process is open, providing capacity-building funds to small and midsized operations.

“I’m pleased that this innovation is coming online and available to smaller producers in our state,” said Warnick, R-Moses Lake. “COVID highlighted vulnerabilities in our food system that needed reform. Hopefully these grants will build that capacity we need to diminish the impacts of possible future disruptions. Done right, it will mean more opportunity for small business and more local options for consumers.”

According to a news release from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), the grant is for, “entities that can offer increased availability of meat or poultry slaughter or processing services needed by direct-marketing Washington farms and ranches.” The goal is to make targeted investments to boost efficiency, improve food safety, livestock welfare and workforce training.

Warnick is urging producers to get their applications in. Grants for small projects of up to $150,000 are due Feb. 28 and larger projects from $150,000 to $750,000 are due March 7.

For more information you can visit the WSDA grant webpage for guidelines, forms and additional information.

WSDA is also hosting a virtual informational session this Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 9.am. You can sign-up here to receive the Zoom link.

Warnick legislation signed; will increase protections for state’s cattle industry

The governor signed Sen. Judy Warnick’s legislation Friday that requires air-quality rules to treat cattle feedlots the same as other agricultural operations. Senate Bill 5196 extends the exemption to feedlots while establishing a process and guidelines for addressing activities that may be detrimental to the environment.

“Other agricultural activities are exempt from these kinds of regulations, so this adjustment to state law makes sense,” said Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who chairs the Senate Agriculture, Water, Trade and Economic Development Committee.

“The state is still ensuring best practices to keep our environment clean and providing a transparent process when a violation occurs, but this compromise legislation balances the rights of our cattle producers with environmental concerns.”

Cattle operations still must adhere to state Department of Ecology rules regarding dust control. However, under the new law, violations must be clearly documented with evidence, setting a higher bar than current practice.

“We have cattle operations all around our state, and sometimes in arid areas cattle movements can be dusty,” said Warnick. “We know that impacts are temporary, but this law clarifies what should be done when a serious violation occurs and how to deal with them. The new law creates a good balance and protections for our well-meaning cattle-industry partners.”

The legislation received strong bipartisan support in the Legislature. The new law goes into effect July 22.

Warnick bill would ‘beef up’ state’s cattle industry

On Tuesday evening the state Senate approved legislation from Sen. Judy Warnick that would help promote the state’s beef industry. Senate Bill 5793, also known as the “Beef Check Off,” would make changes to the per-head assessment for the Washington Beef Commission and generate more funding to expand markets. The measure was approved by a vote of 30 to 19 and goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“The main source of funding for the state Beef Commission is a per-head assessment on cattle. This bill increases that assessment for a good reason,” stated Warnick. “The commission provides valuable services for our cattlemen and this legislation will help promote our beef industry during what are challenging times.”

The bill would require that the commission report to the Legislature on how the funds are used to support this critical economic sector. According to the Beef Commission, the industry as a whole contributes over $5 billion to Washington’s economy.

“In recent years, the beef industry has had some hard times, and the commission’s work is critical to promote this cornerstone of the state’s economy,” added Warnick.