WASHINGTON D.C. - A bill designed to make it easier for small farms to get local meat onto people's tables is being reintroduced in Washington, by legislators from Maine and Kentucky.
In the Senate, Maine independent Sen. Angus King and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky are reintroducing the so-called PRIME act, which stands for the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act.
It was originally authored by Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky) in 2015, and co-sponsored by Maine's 1st District Democrat, Rep. Chellie Pingree, who raises organic cattle at a farm on North Haven Island.
Sen. King outlined the bill Friday while on a visit to Flood's Dairy in Clinton.
“In Maine, we are in the midst of a thriving local foods movement with a growing number of people looking to buy locally-produced meats," said King. "But farmers are facing a serious obstacle in meeting that supply due to a limited number of meat processing facilities. It makes no sense that a Maine farmer would have to send their animals halfway across the state when they’re looking to sell the meat to their neighbor."
Farmers in Maine have long maintained that a dearth of certified slaughter facilities in the region creates a bottleneck in the supply chain, with farmers needing to reserve places at least six months in advance, and animals sometimes trucked for hundreds of miles.
Currently, Maine has five federally inspected plants, and eight state inspected plants. Meat from federally inspected USDA plants can be sold across state lines, while state inspected meats can be sold in-state. Under current law, meat processed in any other way- custom processing- can only be kept for personal, employee, or family consumption.
King says the PRIME Act would change that by allowing states to create a third category of oversight, for those who want to sell their meats in local markets. The act would essentially relax some regulations set down in the 1967 Wholesome Meat Act, which led to major consolidations in the country's meat industry, as smaller producers in places like Maine had trouble meeting the inspections requirements.
There has been some pushback to the proposed PRIME Act however. In 2015, when the legislation was first floated, the National Pork Producers' Council opposed it, citing concerns that small producers would not be subject to the same inspection standards, and the group argued that the act could have the unintended consequence of undermining public confidence in the national food supply. Representatives from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association also expressed concerns over health and oversight.
The bill was reintroduced in the House by Rep. Massie and Rep. Pingree on Friday.
