The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) and the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation (HVADC) announce the availability of funds through Round 2 of the Meat Processing Expansion Grant (MPEG 2.0), which will fund projects to support the expansion/retention of existing licensed meat processing facilities and the establishment of new licensed meat processing facilities in the state to increase opportunities for beef, pork and other meat farmers to process meat within the state and increase the market viability of NYS sourced meat. This program will address the nationwide shortage of affordable meat available to consumers, including the availability of protein sources for schools and institutional facilities in the state. In addition to capital improvements at processing facilities, the MPEG 2.0 program also supports increased meat processing and market access through the development of the labor force and support of food safety upgrades at facilities. MPEG 2.0 funds extend this opportunity to 5-A licensed processors, 20C processors, and USDA processors[MH1][LC2].