The development of a new regional meat processing cooperative in Virginia took a major step forward with an $87,450 planning grant from the Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) program.
The funding will support the creation of a detailed business plan to build a regional processing facility serving Page County and three surrounding counties. The initiative aims to boost in-state processing options for livestock producers, while supporting long-term sustainability through cooperative governance, strategic facility design, and public-private collaboration.
According to state officials, the planning phase will examine:
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Co-op governance structures
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Partner relationships between counties and industry
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Facility design and permitting
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Legal requirements
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A roadmap for additional funding and investment
The goal is to create a sustainable, scalable processing plant that can help meet the growing demand for local meat processing—a need that continues to impact pork producers across the region and beyond.
The project is one of eight initiatives funded through GO Virginia’s recent $6.8 million grant cycle, which is focused on accelerating economic development in agriculture, energy, logistics, and manufacturing.
Since 2017, GO Virginia has helped launch over 1,000 businesses and create more than 24,000 jobs, emphasizing regional innovation and private-sector collaboration.
As pork producers continue to face processing bottlenecks and capacity constraints, new regional facilities like this one could offer welcome relief—especially for smaller and independent operations seeking local, reliable options.
Swine Web will monitor developments as the planning progresses.
