Animal Slaughtering and Processing

NAICS Category 31161 (Animal Slaughtering and Processing) encompasses the broad industrial sector focused on processing animal carcasses into meat products for commercial and institutional consumption. This category includes facilities that slaughter animals, prepare carcasses, and process meat into various formats such as frozen, fresh, canned, and packaged products. Businesses in this sector transform whole animals into consumable meat products through butchering, cutting, trimming, and packaging operations.

Federal Contract Awards in this category demonstrate extensive procurement of meat products for domestic food assistance programs, primarily through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service. Awards consistently range from $10,000 to over $8.6 million, with delivery periods typically spanning one to six months. Frequent awardees include small businesses such as Cherry Meat Packers, Barrios Distributing, American Beef Packers, and JTM Provisions Co, with many contracts set aside exclusively for small businesses. The Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Prisons are the most common funding agencies, with deliveries predominantly occurring across multiple U.S. locations including California, Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio. Many awards are structured as firm-fixed-price contracts for specific meat product types like ground beef, chicken, turkey, and pork.

Recent Federal Contract Opportunities continue to focus on procuring meat and poultry products for domestic food assistance programs and federal correctional facilities. Solicitations typically request specific meat products such as frozen beef, chicken, turkey, and pork, with detailed packaging and processing requirements. Key agencies issuing opportunities include the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service and the Department of Justice's Bureau of Prisons. Most opportunities are set aside for small businesses, with a strong emphasis on 100% domestic product sourcing. Delivery locations span multiple states, and opportunities frequently specify precise product specifications, including packaging sizes, temperature requirements, and processing standards.