Can This Georgia Factory Survive DOGE?

“The U.S. authorities hasn’t really paid us because the finish of December. We’ve got about $12 million that we’ve delivered. We marvel if that’s — is the U.S. authorities nonetheless good? Is their phrase nonetheless good?” Simply weeks after he took workplace, President Trump took purpose at U.S.A.I.D. “The entire thing is a fraud. Little or no, little or no being put to good use.” However his mission to chop international help spending may price hundreds of jobs at house. “Right here we’ve got sugar popping out of Florida, generally from Tennessee. We’ve got peanuts from Georgia, clearly. We’ve got canola oil from North Dakota. We’ve got milk powder from Texas proper now.” This manufacturing unit in Fitzgerald, Ga., makes peanut paste, which fits around the globe to avoid wasting the lives of ravenous kids. “Children who’re actually ravenous, severely, acutely malnourished. 1.2 million youngsters a yr.” Solely two U.S. corporations make it, and MANA Vitamin is one in all them. Now, their nonprofit enterprise, and the 112 jobs it supplies right here in Fitzgerald, are in danger. For greater than a decade, the operation relied closely on U.S.A.I.D. funding. “So final yr, 90 p.c of our funding got here from U.S.A.I.D.” It’s unclear simply how a lot cash DOGE has saved from the federal finances. However on this very Republican county, staff may pay the value. “I used to be born right here in Fitzgerald, raised right here all my life. I used to be simply in search of more cash, higher pay. However after I bought right here and discovered what we do — the mission is to feed the youngsters. This place right here is required.” Within the early 2000s, Fitzgerald misplaced a big automobile battery producer and railroad jobs, and was reeling economically. “Actually sort of bought punched within the mouth. Unemployment went from in all probability 4 p.c to about 15, 16 p.c.” Then in 2011, MANA opened its first manufacturing unit right here. Two years in the past, they introduced plans to quadruple manufacturing. “We hoped to grow to be the starvation answer capital of the world.” “This isn’t about eliminating international help. There are issues that we do via U.S.A.I.D. that we must always proceed to do.” However in late February, Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled a 3rd of MANA’s contracts, saying they weren’t within the nationwide curiosity. Every week later, they had been reinstated. The back-and-forth has left shipments stranded and MANA’s enterprise companions on edge. “There’s nonetheless a whole lot of uncertainty. We’ve obtained a whole lot of calls. Peanut shellers, suppliers saying, ‘Are you continue to in enterprise? Are you good for these contracts?’ Speaking to our banks, ‘Is our line of credit score nonetheless good to us if our one buyer isn’t paying?’” It’s nonetheless unclear what the long-term results is likely to be for this group. “Properly, even a few of our staff, they voted with this administration. You may inform who did vote that method as a result of they will’t maintain it in now. They’re anxious.” “I can’t assist however suppose the president has a technique, and we really feel like we’re going to be taken care of. I absolutely hope so.” “My hope is that the administration could have the ethical creativeness to protect the pursuits and the finances of the American folks, but in addition proceed to feed the world’s poorest.” “Are we anxious? Considerably. However we’re praying.”