CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia lawmakers Wednesday announced that they are helping to reintroduce legislation aimed at making it easier for meat and poultry producers to sell their products to more states.
The New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act seeks to amend existing laws so that products processed at state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) facilities can be sold across state lines.
There are 29 states with their own MPI programs, according to a press release from Sen. Joe Manchin’s Office. He helped reintroduce the bill in the U.S. Senate, and Rep. Alex Mooney (R, WV-2) helped introduce the House version of the bill, the release said.
Manchin said of the bill, in part:
Despite the requirement of state inspection programs to meet or exceed federal inspection standards, our local producers aren’t able to sell their products across state lines. I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to open new markets for our agricultural businesses and strengthen our national food supply chain. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense reform which will directly benefit our local producers and help ensure sustainable, healthy food for every American table.
