Scott Hays, a fifth-generation pork producer from Missouri and President of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), testified before the House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry as part of its hearing on “A Review of Animal Agriculture Stakeholder Priorities.”
NPPC appreciated the opportunity to advocate and discuss policy priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill – ranging from funding that supports the programs that safeguard the nation’s food supply against threats posed by foreign animal diseases to key initiatives that expand foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products.
Throughout his testimony, Hays outlined the tough economic challenges for pig farmers with hog prices having moderated significantly since 2022. Current losses are largely due to record-high production costs that have increased by about 50 percent since 2020. On top of that, the industry has faced trade retaliation, supply chain issues, labor shortages and threats from foreign animal disease outbreaks and the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent unfavorable decision on California Proposition 12.
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