CORINTH — Maine wood pellet manufacturers are meeting with a U.S. Department of Agriculture official to discuss the future of the pellet industry and its economic impact in the state.

Dallas Tonsager, the under secretary for USDA rural development, will be at the Corinth Wood Pellets plant in Corinth today to meet with the heads of Corinth Wood Pellets, Geneva Wood Fuels, Maine Wood Pellet Co. and Northeast Pellet Co. The president of the Maine Pellet Fuels Association will also be on hand.

Officials say discussions will center on the impact pellet companies have had on the economy through jobs and by giving homeowners and businesses a money-saving heating fuel alternative.