« Ind. Law - What happened ... | Main | Ind. Decisions - More on: Supreme Court suspends LaPorte County judge »

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Ind. Gov't. - Encourage CAFOs, penalize small farmers and meat processors?

Doesn't seem right. At my local farmer's market this winter every third stand seems to be selling locally produced meat or poultry. There is great interest in buying from small Indiana farmers and processors. But instead of our state department of agriculture encouraging this, the state administration is cutting back on state meat inspections, without which there can be no sales.

The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has an editorial this morning:

No question Indiana needs to trim its budget. But one proposed cut will likely create an undue financial burden on a state economic sector with promising growth. State officials should consider whether laying off meat inspectors to save money is worth the damage to Indiana’s smaller farmers and meat processors.

In January, the Indiana Board of Animal Health announced it was cutting its inspection program by 50 percent. The board said it would rethink the Draconian cuts after complaints flooded Gov. Mitch Daniels’ office. But it remains unclear exactly how many of Indiana’s 52 meat inspectors will lose their jobs.

A board official said the cuts are “still a work in progress.” The final trims are supposed to take effect July 1. But state-inspected meat and poultry producers are already operating under curtailed inspection schedules, and inspectors are spending fewer hours on site at slaughterhouses.

Meat and poultry must be inspected before it can be sold. Having fewer inspectors will slow that process, making it difficult to meet demand for locally raised meat. The cuts will hurt one of the few areas in the state’s economy that is growing. It’s also an industry that Daniels has previously held up as an economic development opportunity for the state. * * *

There’s no debate that decreased tax revenue means state officials need to decrease spending to balance the budget. But state leaders need to be cautious about making cuts that will hamper one of the few state industries that is experiencing job growth and is so crucial to public health.

And the Indianapolis Star has a long story, dated March 10, that begins:
Indiana's plan to lay off some meat inspectors to save money and reduce the time inspectors spend with small, independent processors has the industry and farmers fearing it could hurt what has been a growing industry.

It's not clear how many of the state's 52 inspectors will be let go, but meatpackers say any layoffs will prevent them from growing to meet demand for locally raised meat.

And, if state inspectors are scarce or unavailable, small meatpackers who can't afford to upgrade for federal inspections could cut back their operations or go under.

Their fears highlight a dilemma lawmakers in many states face as tax revenues decline and they struggle to balance budgets: How deeply do they cut programs that are essential to growing segments of their economies and could generate new tax revenues?

Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 13, 2010 10:50 AM
Posted to Environment | Indiana Government