NPPC Supports Livestock Provisions of Heroes Act

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 12, 2020 – The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) expressed strong support for livestock agriculture provisions in the Heroes Act introduced today by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations. These provisions include funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide:

• Compensation for euthanized livestock that can’t be processed into the food supply due to COVID-related packing plant capacity reductions. This fact sheet provides an overview of the current challenge faced by U.S. pork producers.
• Expanded direct payments to livestock farmers who have suffered severe losses as COVID-related market disruptions have caused the value of their livestock to plummet. In USDA implementation of this program, NPPC continues to seek the removal of payment caps to ensure much-needed aid is extended to those farmers who need it most.
• Increased funding for animal health surveillance and laboratories, which have been tapped to perform COVID-19 testing during this human health emergency.

“U.S. pork producers are facing an unprecedented financial and animal welfare crisis,” said Howard “A.V.” Roth, NPPC president and a hog farmer from Wauzeka, Wisconsin. “These provisions represent a critical lifeline for hog farmers struggling to weather this storm. We urge Congress to come together quickly on final legislation that includes these provisions.”

“House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson has been a champion for U.S. pork producers and the daunting issues they are facing,” added Roth. “We thank hm for his support of these provisions.” 

For more information on U.S. pork industry’s response to COVID-related challenges, please visit https://nppc.org/issues/issue/your-food-is-our-priority/.

# # #

NPPC is the global voice for the U.S. pork industry, protecting the livelihoods of America’s 60,000 pork producers, who abide by ethical principles in caring for their animals, in protecting the environment and public health and in providing safe, wholesome, nutritious pork products to consumers worldwide. For more information, visit www.nppc.org.