Legislative Update

LegisLative Update Many attempts to chop your freedom to operate

By Cheryl Day, Executive Vice President

Whether it’s the United States opening back up, government stimulus funds, or a year and a half of no travel, people are spending a record amount on food in grocery stores and restaurants. Meat sales are up. Consumers are still buying pork as retail food prices climb.

Yet, while we enjoy higher hog prices boosted by robust demand, farmers’ profits are on the chopping block.

The current political environment encourages the anti-animal agriculture groups’ confidence to bravely push forward with the ultimate goal of shutting down animal protein production. Here are a few examples of leading issues that OPC and NPPC are currently working on.

Federal Judge ruling disastrous for Ohio pig farmers On June 30, an estimated 100,582 pigs each week will not have official harvest space, if USDA does not act. Pork processing capacity is already tight. Reducing nationwide capacity by 2.5% is bad news for U.S. pork producers and even worse news for Ohio pig farmers. The federal court’s decision to strike down a provision of USDA’s New Swine Inspection System (NSIS), allowing for faster harvest facility line speeds, impacts two major processing plants utilized by Ohio pig farmers. Essentially, leaving pig farmers in the same pork supply chain problem created by COVID-19 a year ago. OPC and NPPC have asked the USDA and Department of Justice to appeal the ruling because if left unchallenged, it will cause financial harm to America’s pig farmers. Prop 12 rules open for public comment The California Department of Food and Agriculture issued its proposed rules for implementation with public comments ending July 12. While the state of California admits Prop 12 is not based on science, it is still moving forward. Proposition 12 goes into effect on January 1, 2022. Compliance with Prop 12 will cost individual farmers millions of dollars. NPPC and the American Farm Bureau have filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Ninth Circuit, asking the court to strike down Proposition 12. The lawsuit is still active.

Northwest activists call for a moratorium on CAFO in Maumee Watershed Representative Michael Sheehy (D-46) and Representative Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-44) introduced HB 349, restricting the expansion or building of new concentrated animal feeding facilities in the Maumee watershed. It would also prohibit the spring load of total phosphorus from exceeding 860 metric tons and the total dissolved reactive phosphorus of 186 metric tons for the Maumee River. The proposed bill is referred to the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee. Per Ohio General Assembly rules, the bill must be introduced in committee. It is up to the committee chair, Rep. Kyle Koehler, to call the bill for a vote in the future. OPC, along with the livestock groups, are working to defeat the bill.

On behalf of Ohio’s pig farmers, we must stop your swine business from being on the butcher block. Our voice is stronger together. We encourage you to become a member of the Strategic Investment Program, supporting national and state legislative efforts. NPPC and OPC focus on taking action on public-policy issues, impacting your freedom to operate. SIP members also receive valuable insight information on current legislative activities. Consider joining us today.

If you have any questions about state or federal legislation, contact Cheryl Day, (614) 882-5997, Ext. 3 or cday@ohiopork.org.