State budget cutbacks have forced the State Board of Animal Health to cut back on state meat inspection. As a result, Indiana meat processors have had to drastically cut their slaughter and production time. Steve Beutler, with Beutler Meats in Lafayette, says they are down to one day a week of inspected slaughter, “There is just not a lot you can do in one 8 hour period.”
This is resulting in less locally produced meat being available at retail stores and farmers’ markets. Meat sold at these locations must be state inspected. Products that go back to farmers for their own use or freezer meat business do not need to have state inspection.
Beutler says, ironically, the cutback comes at the same time consumer interest in locally produced meats is on the rise, “Source-verified, farm fresh, local: these are all buzz words with consumers right now. People want to know where their meat comes from.” Beutler says his customers like the fact than he can tell them what county the meat was produced in. But until funds can be found to hire more inspectors, the Indiana custom meat processing industry will continue to struggle and consumers will find it hard to locate locally produced meat products.
To read the rest of this story please go to: Hoosier Ag Today