WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD News) — Georgia’s state-inspected meat processors can now ship products nationwide under a new Cooperative Interstate Shipment agreement. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the change gives smaller processors access to markets previously limited by state boundaries.
Participating plants must meet federal inspection requirements and may use the USDA inspection mark. Georgia becomes the eleventh state in the program, joining Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
The agreement could help family-owned processors reach more retailers, restaurants, and institutional buyers. Expanded sales may also create additional slaughter and processing options for cattle, hog, sheep, and goat producers across the Southeast.
Georgia must maintain inspection laws, sampling schedules, laboratory standards, and enforcement systems equivalent to federal requirements. The Food Safety and Inspection Service will provide oversight and reimburse 60 percent of eligible state inspection costs.
The program could strengthen regional processing capacity and reduce dependence on a small number of large plants. Producers will watch how many Georgia facilities enroll and whether added competition improves availability, scheduling, and local livestock bids.
