South Dakota Governor Lauds Construction at Beef Processing Plant

South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds says the resumption of construction at a multimillion-dollar beef processing plant near Aberdeen could have positive effects on the state as a whole, the Daily Republic reports.

The governor said that the announcement that construction on the $70 million plant will resume is important as the owners of the facility expect it to process 390,000 head of cattle each year.

"That’s a lot of beef and a lot of prosperity for South Dakota cattle producers, the people who will be working here and all of the people here in our state,” said Rounds, who will leave office next month because of term limits. “It means South Dakota cattle producers will now have an in-state processing plant."

Part of the funding for the project is reportedly coming from Asian investors who are participating in the federal EB-5 visa program, the news source said. Through this program, foreign nationals can obtain U.S. green card eligibility if they make an investment of $1 million (or $500,000 in some areas) in an American company or project that creates or maintains at least 10 full-time jobs.

Governor Rounds said that the EB-5 visa program would provide an additional $50 million in financing from the foreign investors.