NPPC Outlines Priorities for 2024 Farm Bill
Published: Friday, September 22, 2023
The National Pork Producers Council leadership held a virtual media summit last week to discuss national issues regarding the pork industry and priorities for the upcoming farm bill. Topping the list of hot-button items was California's Proposition 12, its implementation, and ramifications to the industry and consumers.
Proposition 12, voted upon by the California consumer, requires that pork sold and consumed within the state be raised in barns that provide more floor space per animal than typical industry standards, placing the cost burden of upgrades to meet those standards squarely on the shoulders of U. S. pork producers.
Iowa Farm Bureau spokesman Corey Munson observed little enthusiasm in farm country for implementing demands of Prop. 12.
"It is totally up to the producer to make the choice whether to produce for that market or not," he said. "I can't speak for all the producers in Iowa, but from the producer perspective, most of the cost is up to the producer, and the only revenue comes from the consumer. Even if the consumer chooses to pay more for the product, that dollar then must pass from the retailer down through a couple more channels before it gets to the producer."
"As for my family, we're just not willing to bet the farm that all that's going to happen," Munson said.
Even though consumers voted for Proposition 12 standards at the ballot box, it remains to be seen if they are willing to back their vote by opening their wallets. Preliminary information indicates that prices are up about 27% for pork sold in California, but it is unclear if the price increase is typical year-over-year increases or due to availability.
While young producers may consider new construction or retrofitting a barn, in the end the investment must be recovered. Current uncertainties surrounding Proposition 12 and other state initiatives that could surface add to the complications. A hodgepodge mixture of differing housing requirements in multiple states leaves producers pursuing uncertain and often moving targets.
Producers are frustrated that the state of California is telling other producers how to adapt housing practices, according to Lori Stevermer, NPPC President elect.
"If a producer wants to raise pigs indoors, then they can raise pigs indoors or if they prefer outdoors, they can do that. The market determines what incentive they might receive and that hasn't changed. It's one state telling all the rest how to produce is what's frustrating," she said.
State mandated requirements for livestock are a struggle other agriculture sectors may face. House Agriculture Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) has hinted that the new farm bill could address situations such as Proposition 12 while protecting both consumer and producer interests in production and consumption. However, details on what that could look like, or if the concept has any support, were not available during the discussion.
Massachusetts Question 3 is another example of housing standards imposed by a state. According to NPPC chief legal counsel Michael Formica, Question 3 went beyond housing standards and took the position of refusing to allow non-compliant pork movement through the state into other New England states, keeping non-compliant pork from being sold to any federal facility, military base or veteran's home. The act would also impact restaurants and institutions relying on pork supply from the Midwest. NPPC helped negotiate an agreement that the state will not enforce transshipment requirements of the act.
Climate smart agriculture is a topic NPPC continues to monitor. Formica praised the pork industry for its low climate footprint but feels the industry will continue to face challenges by backward looking laws pushed by activists.
"Pork producers work hard every day to minimize inefficiencies on their farms to maximize the value of their pork and make sure the system is as closed loop as possible," he said. "As an industry, we're looking at further enhancements to the value of and reuse of manure, better manure uptake as its applied to the field and better uptake by the plants to maximize the nutrient value."
The organization is also working on projects in the biogas sphere to capture emissions and compine them from multiple farms to generate electric.
Stevermer noted that the pork industry contributes only .4% of greenhouse gas emissions and has reduced land usage in the last 50 years by 76%, water usage by 25% and energy use by 7% due to modern production, feeding and proven genetic management.
"I think for any new practices, we have to look at the economic side, because sustainability isn't just climate smart and climate practices. Sustainability is economic sustainability to be able to continue our farms for many generations," she said.
Disease prevention preparedness is also on NPPC's priority list for the farm bill. If a disease such as African swine fever or foot-and-mouth disease were to gain a foothold, it would cause $240 billion in damages to the swine industry. Funding for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, funding for stockpiling vaccines and countermeasures are items the organization supports. Training for port of entry officials is critical to protect agriculture from foreign animal disease.
NPPC supports funding and work on the Beagle Brigade and other efforts to find, confiscate and dispose of pork products that find their way into the country illegally through U.S. ports.
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