Bill would establish state meat and poultry inspection program

The state would operate a meat and poultry inspection program under a bill heard by the Agriculture Committee Feb. 8.

LB305, introduced by O’Neill Sen. Tyson Larson, would direct the state Department of Agriculture to create a cooperative state inspection program under federal law by 2013. To fund the program, the Cooperative State Meat and Poultry Inspection Cash Fund would be created and funded with two transfers of $100,000 from the Commercial Feed Administration Cash Fund.

Larson said 27 other states have state meat inspection agencies, including five of Nebraska’s neighboring states. He said a state program would increase market access for agricultural producers and create opportunities for niche markets.

“Nebraska’s lack of a state meat inspection agency puts our rural agricultural producers at an extreme disadvantage compared to their counterparts in neighboring states,” Larson said.

Larson said the 2008 federal farm bill allows for interstate transportation and sale of state-inspected meat.

Michael Kelsey, representing the Nebraska Cattlemen, testified in support of the bill, saying it could provide a means to label products as Nebraska beef.

Testimony focused on the issue of horse slaughter, which federal inspectors are prohibited from inspecting due to congressional action taken in 2006.

Debbie Borg of Allen testified in support of the bill. LB305 would reinstate inspection of horse slaughter, she said, which can provide a humane solution to horse overpopulation with an economic benefit. Before the discontinuation of federal inspection for horse slaughter, the industry had a $26 million export value, she said. Now, the U.S. imports approximately 1 million pounds of horse meat from Canada, Borg said, with much of that imported meat going to a North Platte facility that uses it for zoo diets.

A South Dakota State University study found that there are 170,000 unwanted horses each year, Borg said, which would leave almost 168,000 horses unattended even if each of the 432 horse adoption centers in the country took in 50 horses.

“Beyond the flurry of celebrity sponsored horse shelters, horse rescue facilities have clearly not met the need to care for the staggering number of excess horses in the United States,” she said.

Michael Leschinsky, Sr., of Grand Island testified in opposition to the bill, citing health concerns from human consumption of horse meat. A lot of veterinary medicines for horses were not meant to be administered to animals intended for consumption, he said.

The committee took no immediate action on the bill.