Governor Noem announces meat processing agreement with eight states

June 10, 2021
Mike Tanner

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem announced today that certain South Dakota state-inspected meat processors will have the opportunity to ship their meat across state lines.

South Dakota and the USDA have entered a Cooperative Interstate Shipping agreement that opens new market opportunities for South Dakota producers.

“Our food supply is a matter of national security, so we need to increase diversity in the supply chain to offer more options to Americans,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “For too long, meat producers have been shortchanged due to anti-competitive practices in the meatpacking industry. These new opportunities will expand their options and allow them to ship South Dakota meat across state lines.” 

Under the agreement, state-inspected facilities can operate as federally-inspected facilities, under specific conditions, and ship products across state lines.

In addition to South Dakota, there eight other states currently participating in the agreement – Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Processors interested in the program should contact the Animal Industry Board at 605.773.3321 or visit https://aib.sd.gov/.