NPPC Weekly Recap: Pork Producers Rally in Washington, Prop 12 Fix Introduced, and U.S. Pork Exports Dip Slightly

Apr 21, 2025

Photo Credit: Photo by Brett Sayles, Pexels.com

In this week’s update from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), pork producers made their voices heard on Capitol Hill, legislation was introduced to fix California’s controversial Proposition 12, tariff tensions escalated with China, and export data revealed a slight dip in U.S. pork shipments for early 2025.

Pork Producers Lobby Lawmakers on Industry Priorities
Over 120 pork producers from 21 states gathered in Washington, D.C. for NPPC’s Legislative Action Conference, meeting with lawmakers and senior officials from the White House, USDA, EPA, and the Department of Labor.

NPPC’s leadership also held direct conversations with House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson (R-PA) and Rep. Don Davis (D-NC), advocating for labor reform, trade stability, and regulatory clarity.

Senators Introduce Federal Fix for Proposition 12
Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the Food Security and Farm Protection Act, aimed at neutralizing the effects of California’s Proposition 12 and preventing other states from passing laws that affect out-of-state livestock production.

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Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!