It takes work with both sides of the aisle to support America’s pork producers, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) industry leaders expressed during a policy panel moderated by AgriTalk’s Chip Flory at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines.
“Having a proactive, producer-focused advocacy plan has enabled NPPC to elevate our common interests to impact inclusions in the 2024 House Farm Bill,” said NPPC President Lori Stevermer, a pork producer from Easton, Minn. “We appreciate our legislators addressing the issues facing the agriculture industry because they hold real-world implications for farms across the country.”
Preparing for and preventing foreign animal diseases (FADs), navigating challenges posed by California Proposition 12, increasing market access programs for U.S. pork, and protecting herd health are the key priorities that NPPC has successfully advocated for within the farm bill.
“We continue to work with we continue to work with the Senate with both the majority and the minority conversations are ongoing there and they will continue to be ongoing,” said Chase Adams, NPPC assistant vice president of domestic policy. “As we continue to see frameworks and and priorities put out, I do expect to continue to see Prop 12 as a priority for our allies.”
He says two important things need to happen: the industry needs to continue to educate lawmakers, and we need to get the farm bill done in 2024.
“There’s a lot of talk about what the 119 Congress might look like, who’s going to be in the White House, what the policies are going to be. We’ve got the right people in the right place at the right time,” Adams said. “For this industry, facing challenges like African swine fever and Prop 12, this is the opportunity to address those issues. Our producers deserve it. Our producers need it, and this is the time to get it done,” Adams said.
For example, the U.S. is hearing rumblings from trading partners about the impacts that Prop 12 has had on trade. But they aren’t the only ones. Real-life impacts are being felt by consumers in California, Adams said.
“Do you think that consumers got what they think they voted for in Prop 12 in California?” Flory asked the panel.
“Clearly they didn’t because USDA’s own study has proved that Californians are now suffering from 20% less pork on their shelves and price increases of 20%,” said Maria C. Zieba, NPPC vice president of government affairs. “I’ve said this before, if Californians believed that they would have to be sourcing product from Europe or Brazil or other foreign countries and creating that greenhouse gas emission that transportation creates, they probably wouldn’t have voted for Prop 12 knowing all the intricacies. It’s not better for animal welfare. It’s not better for the environment, and it’s causing all sorts of different issues on the supply side and on pricing.”
Other Quotable Thoughts
“As farmers, we are fixers. We’re doers. And we’re fighters. For us to see the Farm Bill move slowly is frustrating. But I think we have to be patient and know that all that work that the staff is doing behind the scenes is is valuable. We did tell the staff to be strategic to be a driving force, because that’s what our producers want from us. As producers, we have to stay focused, and we have to use our grassroots efforts.” --Lori Stevermer, NPPC president
“NPPC continues to work on a range of policy issues that protect herd health and safeguard producers’ farming businesses. As it relates to ongoing discussions around the farm bill, we want to continue the momentum set by inclusions in the House version and encourage Congress to finalize a bipartisan bill this year that reflects the needs of pork producers.” --Bryan Humphreys, NPPC CEO
“Pork producers continue to face threats from foreign animal disease like African swine fever. Farm bill funding can address these risks and help mitigate an outbreak that could lead to billions of dollars in losses, food shortages, and immediate closure of export markets.” --Anna Forseth, DVM, NPPC director of animal health
“Exports create significant opportunities for the U.S. pork industry. USDA’s MAP program is designed to build commercial export markets for U.S. agricultural products. NPPC values the role international marketing plays in developing markets for U.S. pork.” --Maria C. Zieba, NPPC vice president of government affairs
We will be uniting together June 3-8 for PORK Week across all of our Farm Journal platforms to elevate the important role the pork industry plays in feeding the world. Share your stories and post photos on social media using #PORKWeek to help us honor the pork industry. From “AgDay TV” to “AgriTalk” to “U.S. Farm Report” to PorkBusiness.com and everything in between, tune in and join us as we acknowledge the most noble profession there is: feeding people.
