NPPC Wants Kenya to Eliminate Tariff, Non-tariff Barriers to U.S. PorkIn comments submitted late last week to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, NPPC urged U.S. trade negotiators to use the recently launched Strategic and Investment Partnership with Kenya to eliminate that country’s unjustified restrictions on U.S. pork imports. With a population of more…
Producers Convey Pork Industry Priorities During NPPC Fly-in NPPC held its fall Legislative Action Conference Wednesday and Thursday, with nearly 100 pork producers in Washington, D.C., meeting with their members of Congress to discuss pork industry priorities. Over the two-day event, producers asked lawmakers to: Press the Biden administration to join the 11-nation Comprehensive and…
NPPC, Farm Bureau Respond to Proponents Of Proposition 12In their U.S. Supreme Court case against California’s Proposition 12, NPPC and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) this week filed a brief in response to issues raised by those who want the law upheld. Proposition 12 bans the sale in California of pork not produced according…
More Funds Available for Meat, Poultry Processing ImprovementsUSDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) this week announced an additional $21.9 million for 111 projects through the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant Program, bringing total funding to $54.6 million. MPIRG awards this year have funded projects in 37 states. The program helps meat and poultry processors make…
NPPC Comments on Proposed USDA ‘Poultry Rule’Although it is taking no position on the new regulation, NPPC recently submitted comments on USDA’s proposed “Transparency in Poultry Grower Contracting and Tournaments” rule, which is related to enforcement and interpretation of the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA). The PSA also deals with livestock transactions. The so-called “poultry…
Federal Judge Issues Stay of Massachusetts Question 3With regulations implementing it set to take effect Monday, Aug. 15, a federal judge Thursday granted NPPC’s motion for a stay of Massachusetts Question 3. The law would ban the sale of pork from hogs born to sows housed in pens that don’t comply with the state’s new…
Coalition Calls for Ag Labor ReformAs part of the Ag Workforce coalition, NPPC and 21 state affiliates signed a letter urging Senate leadership to find a path forward on ag workforce issues. While progress is being made toward a workable solution for expansion and reform of the H2-A visa program, many hurdles remain. The groups wrote,…
USDA Begins Pandemic Relief Payments to Pork Producers USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) this week began issuing nearly $63 million in pandemic assistance payments to hog producers under the Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program. SMHPP assists eligible producers who sold hogs through a spot market sale from April 16 through Sept. 1, 2020. Initially proposed…
NPPC Spearheads Letter to Congressional Leaders to Back ‘Beagle Brigade Act’NPPC spearheaded a letter signed by 52 other agricultural organizations and veterinary groups asking Senate and House leaders for “swift passage” of the “Beagle Brigade Act of 2022” (S. 3678 and H.R. 8432). The legislation would authorize the National Detector Dog Training Center, the primary…
Report Highlights Pork Industry Contributions To U.S. Jobs, EconomyNPPC released a new economic report highlighting how America’s pig farmers are significant contributors to the agricultural and overall U.S. economy. The report, authored by NPPC staff economist Holly Cook and Iowa State University economist Lee Schulz, features the U.S. pork industry’s value chain contributions and growth…