Peace Garden News

Meat and poultry products inspected by state programs are currently restricted to markets within the state, even when their inspection meets or exceeds federal standards.

Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) have introduced a bill titled New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act. This bill aims to allow meat and poultry products inspected by state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs to be sold across state lines.

The proposed legislation does not eliminate the Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program nor does it allow state-inspected products to be exported. The CIS program helps expand business opportunities for state-inspected meat and poultry establishments and supports North Dakota's access to additional markets in neighboring states. The new bill seeks to broaden these options without repealing the CIS program.

Cramer and his colleagues have advocated for similar legislation in past congressional sessions. In 2020, during meatpacking plant shutdowns and supply chain shortages, the group wrote an op-ed supporting the bill's passage as part of COVID-19 relief efforts.

Cramer stated, “Despite meat and poultry products passing rigorous inspection standards across the nation, high-quality, state-inspected meats cannot be sold across state lines. This puts our producers and consumers at a disadvantage. Our bill removes this unnecessary barrier by expanding market opportunities for North Dakota ranchers and provides out-of-state consumers with more choices at the grocery store.”

Rounds commented on South Dakota's agriculture sector, “South Dakota is home to a robust and diverse agriculture industry. Despite not serving on the Senate Agriculture Committee, I continue to work on addressing issues that impact our farm and ranch operations in South Dakota. This includes...allowing state-inspected meat and poultry products to be sold across state lines...I’m looking forward to working with Chairman Boozman and the Senate Agriculture Committee to get these priorities included in the Farm Bill and across the finish line.”

The legislation is cosponsored by several senators including Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Angus King (I-ME), John Barrasso (R-WY), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Tina Smith (D-MN).