Why It Matters: Meat processors play a critical role in the field-to-table journey for many successful hunters across the nation. Further, they represent a critical link in the success of game meat donation programs. Missouri’s existing tax credit program serves as a great incentive designed to increase the availability and capacity of meat processors in the Show-Me State, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is proud to support legislation designed to continue this tax credit program in perpetuity.
Highlights:
- Last week, CSF submitted written testimony in Missouri in support of Senate Bills 864 and 913 ahead of their hearing in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food Production, and Outdoor Resources.
- Senate Bills 864 (authored by Missouri Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair Senator Jason Bean) and 913 seek to remove the sunset on several tax credit programs, including a program designed to increase and improve the operations of meat processors in the state.
- With many hunters and, the success of game meat donation programs relying on the availability of meat processors across the state, CSF was proud to testify in support of these bills.
Last week, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation submitted written testimony to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food Production, and Outdoor Resources in support of Senate Bills 864 (introduced by Missouri Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair Senator Jason Bean) and 913 that relate to tax credits for meat processors.
Established a few years ago, Missouri’s meat processor tax credit was designed to facilitate the expansion or modernization of meat processors across the state. However, without the provisions of SB 864 and 913, along with the House counterpart in House Bill 2713 (introduced by Missouri Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus member Representative Dane Diehl), this tax credit program is set to expire in 2028. These bills, if passed, would make the program permanent in the state.
For many sportsmen and women, the availability of quality, local meat processors is critical in the journey of legally harvested game meat from the field to the dinner table. While at-home processing is gaining popularity, many sportsmen and women simply do not have the time, equipment, and expertise to process their harvests at home. Further, participating meat processors serve as a critical link in the success of game meat donation programs that allow successful hunters to share their harvest with their neighbors in need.
Anecdotally, in the Midwest there is an increasing shortage of processors, particularly those with the equipment, staff, and bandwidth to process game meat for hunters. CSF’s friends at the National Deer Association are taking an active look at this problem and recently released a Venison Processor Map designed to connect sportsmen and women with available processors in their area. By incentivizing expansion and improvements, we are hopeful that the continuation of the tax credit program will keep increasing the capacity and productivity of Missouri’s meat processors in support of local agriculture, sportsmen and women, and Missouri’s Share the Harvest program.
