Federal Cooperative Agreement Award Summary

The Wyoming Department of Agriculture received a $596,000 Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) under the Cooperative Agreements with States for Intrastate Meat and Poultry Inspection program (CFDA 10.475). The award, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, provides federal financial assistance to enable Wyoming to operate and maintain a state-level meat and poultry inspection program that ensures consumers have access to safe, wholesome, and properly labeled meat and poultry products produced within the state.

Under this cooperative agreement, Wyoming will conduct ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections of meat and poultry products, verify product safety compliance, enforce federal labeling requirements, and maintain accounting records subject to federal audit. The program enables Wyoming's small and mid-sized meat and poultry processors to operate under state inspection oversight without requiring separate federal inspection, while maintaining inspection standards equal to or exceeding federal requirements. All participating states renew their cooperative agreements annually pending Secretary approval, and the FSIS conducts comprehensive audits every three years to validate continued compliance with federal "at least equal to" standards.