Central ND News

Meat and poultry inspected through state programs are restricted to sale within their respective states, despite meeting or exceeding federal standards. In response, U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act. This legislation aims to allow interstate sales of these products.

The bill does not propose eliminating or modifying the existing Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program, which facilitates increased business opportunities for state-inspected meat and poultry establishments. Instead, the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act seeks to expand market access further without abolishing the CIS framework.

Senator Cramer emphasized the limitations placed on high-quality, state-inspected meats: “Despite meat and poultry products passing rigorous inspection standards across the nation, high-quality, state-inspected meats cannot be sold across state lines.” He noted that the legislation aims to provide more market opportunities while offering consumers a greater variety of choices.

Senator Rounds highlighted South Dakota's agriculture sector, stating, “South Dakota is home to a robust and diverse agriculture industry." Despite not being on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Rounds expressed his commitment to addressing issues impacting the industry. He plans to work with Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Boozman to include these priorities in the Farm Bill.

The bill has garnered support from 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).