USDA Awards $250,000 to Expand Meat Processing in Nebraska: Wahoo Locker to Buy Automated Packaging Equipment
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Nebraska State Director Neil Moseman announced on November 2, 2026, that USDA will invest $250,000 in Nebraska through Phase 4 of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) to help a local processor expand capacity.
The recipient is Wahoo Locker LLC in Saunders County, Nebraska. The company will use the $250,000 MPPEP grant to purchase automated packaging equipment for pork and beef products at its meat processing facility. USDA said the investment will help the facility operate more efficiently, increase production, and strengthen its potential for revenue growth.
Moseman said local meat processors play an important role in serving producers and consumers throughout rural Nebraska, and that USDA Rural Development is committed to supporting rural businesses through programs like MPPEP that contribute to economic growth and help meet the needs of their communities.
The primary purpose of MPPEP Phase 4 is to support the beef industry by diversifying the meat and poultry supply chain and opening local market opportunities. An applicant's facility must primarily process cattle to be eligible, though funds and equipment may also be used for meat and poultry processing at the facility.
The award is part of the state-by-state rollout of MPPEP Phase 4. Vice President JD Vance and Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins previously announced that processors in 40 states are expected to receive a total of $57,424,130 across 147 awards under the program, and USDA began obligating the funds after the congressional notification period ended. USDA has awarded more than $200 million to independent businesses under MPPEP to date.
(Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于内布拉斯加州 Sandhills 地区的 Spade Ranch 牧场（资料图）。Wikimedia Commons，公共领域。 / Photo: Spade Ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills (file photo). Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
