The Department of Agriculture is moving towards issuing a permit for the first new horse slaughtering facility since 2007.

USDA inspectors will be at the Valley Meat Co. in southern New Mexico today. If all goes well, the plant could be producing horse meat for human consumption.

Congress inserted a rider in an appropriations act that prohibited the USDA from inspecting horse slaughtering plants that intended to sell meat for human consumption. The provision lapsed in 2011 but at least three tribes, including one in New Mexico, have asked the Obama administration to allow horse slaughtering

USDA's fiscal year 2014 budget proposal would cut all funding for inspections at horse slaughtering facilities.

Get the Story:
New Mexico Horse Meat Facility Moves a Step Closer to Operation (The New York Times 4/23)
New Mexico slaughterhouse becomes ground zero in emotional debate over horse slaughter (AP 4/23)

Related Stories:
Oglala Sioux Tribe explores opening of horse slaughtering plant (4/18)
Mescalero Apache Tribe backs permits for horse slaughters (04/03)
Yakama Nation calls on USDA to approve horse slaughtering (4/2)
USDA might approve first horse slaughtering plant since 2007 (03/01)