News

Wisconsin’s ag secretary says getting new meat inspectors will take time

Wisconsin’s budget is now finished, including several agriculture-related spending provisions.  One of the budget items approved and signed into law was funding for additional meat inspectors at the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection.

Wisconsin Ag Secretary Designee Randy Romanski stopped at Farm Technology Days, and he tells Brownfield it will take some time to get those new inspectors. “There are steps in the process. Our hope is to do that as quickly as we can.”

And, when it comes to meat processing grants, Romanski says his agency needs to get those dollars out into the hands of industry so they can expand slaughter capacity and put in new equipment. “Before we can do that, we need to go back to the Legislature with a plan to say here’s how we plan to spend the money. We’ve got a plan in place. We want to get the dollars out there. We just have to go through that formality.”

Romanski says adding more meat inspectors adds resiliency to the supply chain.

Romanski spoke to Brownfield during Wisconsin Farm Technology Days in Eau Claire.