Agricultural Innovation gets $12.5M boost from USDA

Aug 24, 2023

A wave of innovative energy is set to sweep the agricultural landscape, courtesy of the USDA's $12.5 million investment into the SBIR and STTR programs. This move is set to back 76 enterprising small businesses addressing agriculture's dynamic challenges.

Reiterating the Administration's dedication, Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young emphasized nurturing small businesses and fortifying the nation's food framework.

$2.5 millions of this allocation inaugurates the USDA NIFA STTR awards. These awards are pioneering, fostering symbiotic relations between small businesses and research nonprofits, propelling scientific discoveries to the masses.

Dr. Manjit K. Misra, helping USDA NIFA, spotlighted small businesses as the leaders of innovation in the realms of food and farming. NIFA's $9.9 million is ready to strengthen 61 SBIR initiatives, touching vital areas from conservation to biobased innovations.

It's heartening to note, 20 of these grants support businesses owned by minorities or women, and 22 cater to HUBZones, emphasizing socio-economic upliftment.

The projects under this funding umbrella are diverse and promising, like Evergreen Aquatics' venture into sustainable aquaculture and Padma Agrobotics' automation strides.

Complementing these advancements, the USDA’s 2022 Technology Transfer Annual Report charts the path of recent agricultural tech successes. From 156 pathbreaking inventions to 79 patent applications, the report paints an encouraging picture of the sector's future.

To continue harnessing innovative minds, the USDA is open to more SBIR and STTR funding proposals, with the window closing on September 19, 2023.

Source : wisconsinagconnection

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.