(NAFB.com) – The Meat Institute called today for the processing sector, a critical part of the meat and poultry supply chain, to be included in the Trump administration’s plans for a stable and legal agriculture workforce. “As reforms are considered, we urge the Trump administration to include meat and poultry packers and processors in the efforts to improve agriculture worker programs,” said Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the Meat Institute. “More than 850,000 hog farmers, cattle ranchers, and poultry growers rely on meat packers to market their animals, and consumers rely on processors for the nutrient-dense meat and poultry they feed their families.” Meat and poultry processors keep the rural economy moving by producing the beef, pork, and poultry purchased by 98 percent of American households. “Our members need changes to the H-2A visa program and modernization of E-Verify to ensure the processing sector has a year-round workforce,” Potts added.