This webinar highlighted USDA's Department’s initiatives which support the development of new, diverse and resilient food systems, and particularly the programs and services supporting the middle of the meat and poultry supply chains. It outlined USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity- Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA), that was launched earlier this year to provide USDA program participants access to full-range technical assistance to support their processing project development and success.

Presenters:

Dr. Robert Maddock is the Technical Assistance Officer at the American Meat Science Association. Robert’s main duties are to assist new and expanding meat and poultry businesses with technical information and assistance. Previously, Robert was a Professor in the department of Animal Sciences at North Dakota State University. Rob received his B.S. in Animal Science at NDSU in 1995, a M.S. in muscle biology at NDSU in 1997, and a doctorate in Meat Science at Texas A&M University in 2000.

Sara Hernandez is the Program Coordinator for USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA). She has been with Agricultural Marketing Service for 20 years, serving in various roles and administering a variety of programs and services supporting the domestic and international marketing of U.S. meat and poultry products.

Andy Green is Senior Advisor for Fair and Competitive Markets, where he coordinates USDA’s competition and market regulatory policy. Green leads the Department’s execution of President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in America’s Economy, including spearheading the modernization of the Packers and Stockyards Act’s rules to promote fair and competitive markets in livestock and poultry.