Bear Paw Development getting $10M for meat and poultry processing loan fund

Press release

Editor’s note: A version of this ran in the online edition of Havre Daily News Monday.

BOZEMAN — U.S. Department of Agriuculture announced that USDA is investing more than $16 million with three local business development corporations, including Havre-based Bear Paw Development Corp., to create new and better markets for agricultural producers and food businesses in rural Montana.  

Bear Paw received a $10,000,000 Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development to administer a revolving loan fund for the Montana Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program Coalition.

Funds will benefit 26 counties and four tribal entities by providing access to capital for businesses involved in meat and poultry processing and helping expand operations seeking USDA inspection certification.

Watch for more on Bear Paw’s new loan fund in upcoming editions of Havre Daily News.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development in Montana State Director Kathleen Williams said the investments will help bring back local meat processing.

“In rural states like Montana, people want to know where their food is coming from and this investment in local processing will help move toward a healthy, viable food chain where Montanans can access quality, locally produced food,” Williams said. “This is another great example of USDA’s commitment to growing and sustaining economies in our rural and Tribal communities.”   

A total of $320 million was invested through several USDA Rural Development funding programs across 19 states, including Montana, to strengthen food supply chains and create more opportunities for agricultural producers and entrepreneurs.

USDA’s investment in Montana was through the Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) which provides grant funding to intermediary lenders who finance – or plan to finance – the start-up, expansion, or operation of meat and poultry processing.

Montana’s other grant recipients include:  

Great Falls Development Authority Inc. in Great Falls received a $2,000,000 Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program grant to increase meat and poultry processing capacity in north central Montana by helping existing and start up processing operations diversify, increase production, and process a higher percentage of livestock raised in the region.  

Great Northern Development Corporation in Wolf Point received a $4,125,000 Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program grant for a revolving loan fund to expand meat processing in a 12-county service area across eastern Montana. Funds will assist with manufacturing and processing value-added agricultural products, primarily from cattle, sheep, swine, goats, and bison.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA Rural Development provides loans, loan guarantees and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for citizens in rural and Tribal areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements, business development, housing, community facilities, and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal, and high-poverty areas. For more information, people can visit https://www.rd.usda.gov .