Federal Grant Award Summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) awarded the Arkansas Department of Agriculture a $640,000 Cooperative Agreement under CFDA 10.475 (Cooperative Agreements with States for Intrastate Meat and Poultry Inspection) for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Under this award, Arkansas operates a state-level meat and poultry inspection program that conducts ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections of meat and poultry products produced and distributed within state boundaries. The program ensures consumer access to safe, wholesome, and properly labeled meat and poultry products while enabling small and mid-sized intrastate processors to operate under state inspection oversight without requiring separate federal inspection.

As a participating state maintaining inspection standards at least equal to federal requirements, Arkansas maintains accounting records subject to federal audit and enforces compliance with federal labeling standards. This cooperative model allows the state to maintain direct regulatory oversight of intrastate meat and poultry production while leveraging federal funding and guidance through FSIS. The award is structured as an annual renewal under the program, with all fiscal year 2026 awards subject to comprehensive triennial audits by FSIS to validate continued compliance with the "at least equal to" inspection standard requirement.