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Vilsack warns of meat shortages due to furloughs: report
Story Date: 3/1/2013
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Source: MEATINGPLACE, 2/28/13
Automatic U.S. budget cuts set to take effect on Friday will eventually cause meat shortages due to layoffs of safety inspectors, but the government may stagger the furloughs to lessen the impact, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday in an interview with Reuters.
"At some point, you're going to have shortages," Vilsack said. "The reality is there are going to be disruptions."
He said USDA would try to minimize the impact on consumers and the meat industry by staggering the furloughs but did not specify a timetable for when those cuts would occur.
Although the budget cuts are due to take effect Friday, USDA’s various labor contracts require between 30 and 120 days’ notice on furloughs, which would affect the date on which furloughs would begin, Vilsack said last week.
Congressman Michael Conaway (R-Texas) earlier this week said that USDA might order furloughs on non-consecutive days to help keep plants running.
The White House earlier this month said the cuts could force a two-week furlough of all food safety inspectors.
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