Factory Farm Inspectors Cut

Tom Vislack, agriculture secretary of the US Department of Agriculture, has announced plans to cut the jobs of roughly 1,000 poultry factory-farm inspectors. Secretary Vislack suggests to move in order to save money, and predicts that $95 million can be cut from the agency’s budget for the first three years after implementation. Food and Water Watch, a consumer-rights organization, opposes the move, saying that it will give the poultry industry too much free reign. Recently, Mercy For Animals documented egregious animal cruelty at a Butterball Turkey facility in North Carolina.