Several pork priorities secured in House Farm Bill

The National Pork Producers Council applauds the U.S. House Agriculture Committee’s unveiling of its 2024 Farm Bill.

“America’s pork producers appreciate Chairman G.T. Thompson’s willingness to listen, put pen to paper, and address the most pressing issues facing the agriculture industry across the country – a prime example of how our government should work,” said NPPC President Lori Stevermer, a pork producer from Easton, Minnesota. “The inclusion of pork producers’ top priorities in the 2024 House Farm Bill is a testament to our industry’s ability to unite and speak up about our common challenges.”

NPPC successfully advocated to include pork producers’ priorities in the House Farm Bill, including:

A legislative solution to the host of problems triggered by California’s Proposition 12. A 2018 California ballot initiative, Proposition 12, prohibits the sale of uncooked whole pork meat not produced according to the state’s arbitrary housing dimensions. Recent USDA data indicates price spikes as high as 41% for pork in California.

Preservation of necessary resources to protect the nation’s food supply through foreign animal disease prevention, including the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank, the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program and the National Veterinary Stockpile.

Increase in market access programs for U.S. pork. The Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program build export markets for U.S. agricultural products through generic marketing and promotion and the reduction of foreign import constraints. For every $1 spent on MAP and FMD programs, U.S. agriculture saw $24.50 in export gains and contributed to the creation of 225,800 full-and part-time jobs across the U.S. economy.

Boost in resources for feral swine eradication to protect the health of our herds. Established in the 2018 Farm Bill, the hugely successful Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program helps address the threat feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems, and human and animal health, especially through FADs like African swine fever.

Authorization of the National Detector Dog Training Center. The center is the primary training facility for the “Beagle Brigade,” which serves as the first line of defense for early detection at the nation’s ports of entry and is critical in keeping foreign animal diseases, like ASF, out of the United States.

NPPC urges the House Agriculture Committee to swiftly consider and pass this Farm Bill, so pork producers have the certainty to continue their operations to the next generation.

Though the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry has yet to reveal its full Farm Bill text, NPPC urges timely publication and consideration of a Senate Farm Bill that addresses the above priorities.