Tester Secures An Additional $9.7 Million to Expand Meat and Poultry Processing in Montana

Tester helped negotiate the ARPA and he was the only Montana statewide official that supported the legislation.

U.S. Senator Jon Tester secured $9,752,250 for Bear Paw Development to finance expanded meat and poultry processing in five regions across Montana. In order to reach markets across the state, Bear Paw Development has partnered with Sweetgrass Development Corporation, Great Falls; Headwaters RC&D, Butte; Montana Business Assistance Connection, Helena; and Snowy Mountain Development Corporation, Lewistown. This loan was awarded through USDA Rural Development’s Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP), which was funded through Tester’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).