April 16, 2024

US pork producers lobby US Congress on industry priorities

Approximately 100 pork producers convened in Washington DC, US for the National Pork Producers Council's (NPPC) spring Legislative Action Conference, engaging with lawmakers on critical issues impacting the US pork industry while receiving updates on key developments, Farm Journal's Pork reported.

NPPC representatives provided insights into the economic landscape of the pork sector, highlighted the USDA's pilot programme for enhanced processing line speeds at packing plants, and discussed the application of mRNA vaccine technology in livestock production. Efforts to bolster the industry's live swine traceability system were also addressed.

US Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Nutrition, shared perspectives on the Senate's outlook for the upcoming farm bill. Additionally, Sandra Eskin, USDA's deputy undersecretary in the Office of Food Safety, elaborated on the agency's pilot programme concerning processing line speeds.

Ahead of the conference, NPPC leadership hosted a media briefing, offering insights into industry dynamics and diverse topics, including the farm bill, California Proposition 12, international trade, and labour concerns.

During discussions with lawmakers, pork producers advocated for legislative actions on several fronts, which includes addressing California Proposition 12 in the next Farm Bill to rectify challenges posed by the ban on pork sales not meeting state-specific housing standards, renewing and expanding key Farm Bill programs benefiting US agriculture, particularly those focusing on foreign animal disease prevention and response, and revising visa processes, including TN and H-2A visas, to address labour shortages in the agricultural sector.

NPPC also opposed pending Packers and Stockyards Act rulemakings potentially encouraging litigation without demonstrating harm to competition, supported the "Beagle Brigade Act" to strengthen agricultural contraband detection efforts at US ports of entry, and urged US trade representatives to ensure fair market access for US pork in South Africa under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

-      Farm Journal's Pork