Urging the New Hampshire congressional delegation to sponsor legislation relative to, and urging the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adopt regulations, allowing for small scale and very small slaughter plants to use the Federal Meat Inspection Acts Custom Exempt meat processing inspection criteria with a third-party inspector present at slaughter, so that processed beef, pork, lamb, and chevron (goat meat) can be sold as individual cuts directly from the farm producer to the end consumer.
House Resolution 18 is a nonbinding resolution that urges New Hampshire’s congressional delegation to sponsor federal legislation, and urges the U.S. Department of Agriculture to adopt regulations, that would let small-scale slaughter plants use the Federal Meat Inspection Act’s custom-exempt processing criteria with a third-party inspector present at slaughter. The goal is to allow processed beef, pork, lamb, and goat meat to be sold as individual cuts directly from farm producers to end consumers.
The resolution explains that New Hampshire has only four USDA-approved slaughter plants and that farmers often must schedule slaughter dates far in advance, sometimes before livestock are even born. It also cites COVID-era supply chain disruptions, the importance of local food systems, and consumer interest in knowing where food comes from as reasons to expand processing flexibility. The measure points to existing exemptions for poultry and certain non-amenable species as a model for similar treatment of amenable species processed in small facilities.
If adopted, the resolution would not directly change New Hampshire law, but it would formally ask federal lawmakers and USDA to change federal policy affecting meat inspection and sales. The practical effect sought is expanded market access for small livestock producers, more local slaughter and processing capacity, and the ability to sell inspected cuts of meat directly from the farm to consumers. It would also potentially affect USDA inspection rules, custom-exempt processing practices, and the operations of small slaughter plants and farm-based meat sales.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text is supportive of local agriculture, food resilience, and consumer choice. The resolution frames the proposal as a response to processing bottlenecks and supply chain vulnerabilities, and it presents the change as beneficial to farmers, consumers, and public health. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no additional evidence of opposition or divided sentiment in the available materials.
The main policy issue is whether USDA should relax or adapt inspection rules for small slaughter plants while still maintaining food safety oversight. Supporters appear to favor greater flexibility, local processing capacity, and direct-to-consumer sales, while the likely concern from opponents would be whether a third-party inspector model provides sufficient oversight under federal meat inspection standards. Another possible point of contention is the scope of the change: the resolution seeks action for beef, pork, lamb, and goat meat, which are federally inspected amenable species, rather than limiting the proposal to already-exempt categories.