NPPC Applauds NSIS Line Speed Extension

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 28, 2023 — The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) today applauded U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for heeding its call to extend the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) line speed trial.

“Amidst a historically dire pork market, we thank Secretary Vilsack for his actions to preserve harvest capacity, which provides market power to producers when selling hogs,” said NPPC President and Missouri pork producer Scott Hays. “Without the extension, pork producers would incur additional losses of nearly $10/head in Q1 and Q2 2024.”

USDA’s plan includes a 90-day extension to allow a team of experts to design a study to collect worker safety data. NPPC is confident the study will yield consistent, positive findings, paving the way to establishing NSIS as a permanent program.

At NPPC’s urging, in November 2021, USDA allowed select packing plants to run faster harvest line speeds. Participating plants were required to collect and share worker safety data with USDA and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The increased harvest capacity at these trial plants represents more than three percent of national harvest capacity, all without jeopardizing food or worker safety.

NPPC looks forward to continuing working with FSIS to make this program permanent and increase NSIS adoption at additional packing plants.

Click here to read more information from FSIS.

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