Federal, state and local officials announced Sept. 21 an $800,000 federal investment for construction of the Southern Catskills Red Meat Processing Facility in Liberty.
Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-Saugerties) helped to secure the funding through the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) to the Sullivan County Industrial Development Agency.
The $800,000 EDA investment will be added to two previously announced federal investments made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in order to begin construction on the $1.7 million, 5,000-square-foot food processing facility. Hinchey previously secured $175,000 from the USDA in 2005, along with an additional $50,000 in 2009 in large part due to Sullivan County”™s inclusion in the Sullivan-Wawarsing Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zone established in 1999.
The facility is expected to support the creation of more than 50 new agricultural jobs and three to five direct jobs at the plant itself. At a time when consumer interest has grown dramatically in local food production and naturally-raised livestock, the west of Hudson market is poised to benefit from the urban marketplace as a result. Construction is planned for spring, 2011 and anticipated to be completed some time in 2012.
Currently, farmers in Sullivan and surrounding counties in the Hudson Valley have to travel several hours one way to bring livestock to market, often waiting months to be scheduled for processing. As a result, smaller farmers are selling off their beef and other animals at much lower prices than they could realize if a processing facility were closer and more readily available to them.
“Demand for a food processing facility in the region is high,” said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez. “This EDA grant will help to expand the region”™s livestock production sector to create new jobs and leverage private investment.”
“The lack of a meat processing plant is a growing problem for small farmers in our region and across the nation,” added Jonathan Rouis, chairman of the Sullivan County Legislature, which committed $150,000 to the project. “We are committed to our agricultural community and stepping in to help our local farmers answer the demand for locally raised meat.”
