The National Pork Producers Council is taking its top policy priorities directly to Capitol Hill this week as pork producers gather in Washington, D.C. for the group’s Legislative Action Conference April 15 and 16.
Rob Brenneman, president of NPPC and a pork producer from Washington, Iowa, says one of the most important parts of the conference is making sure lawmakers hear directly from the people affected by the decisions they make.
A major focus of this year’s conference is preserving the Prop 12 fix as farm bill negotiations continue. Brenneman says pork producers need to keep pressure on both the House and Senate to make sure the language stays intact as lawmakers continue building the next farm bill package.
He says the stakes go well beyond producers themselves. Without a federal solution, Brenneman warns that a patchwork of state-specific production rules could create confusion, increase costs, and force producers to make expensive on-the-fly adjustments.
He says that uncertainty could also accelerate consolidation in the pork sector while driving higher prices at the grocery store.
Beyond Proposition 12, Brenneman says producers attending the conference are also focused on several broader policy priorities, including renewal of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, labor availability, and continued support for the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan.
For producers unable to make the trip to Washington, Brenneman says there is still an important role they can play by reaching out directly to members of Congress.
The Legislative Action Conference runs April 15 and 16, with pork producers from across the country meeting lawmakers on issues ranging from farm bill language and trade policy to labor and animal health priorities.
