Proposition 12, California’s meat restriction law, is proving to be costly not only for Iowa hog farmers, but for California consumers as well. I’m glad to see the U.S. House Agriculture Committee taking steps in its farm bill to protect producers from a patchwork of state laws like this.
I am a farmer from Buchanan County, where my family raises hogs, corn and soybeans. Our farm markets over 40,000 pigs annually, and my husband and I have been involved in this industry for almost thirty years. We raised our family on our farm and we like to think that our three children are the best crop we ever raised.
I take pride in producing sustainable proteins for consumers, while keeping animal welfare top of mind. These efforts are made by adhering to WeCare’s industry ethical principles, including food safety, animal welfare, public health, the environment, our people and our community.
By raising less than 2% of the pork in the United States, California should not be telling producers across the country, let alone the largest pork producing state, how to raise their animals.
In 2018, California voters approved a ballot measure known as Proposition 12, which regulates sow housing space requirements for producers and processors who sell certain pork products to the state. It is sad to hear that some communities could go hungry as prices have skyrocketed since the law came into effect on July 1, 2023.
Recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Chief Economist also shows that loin, rib and belly costs in California have increased by an average of 20%. I’ve seen this firsthand. This spring I visited a store there. The store employee showed us the fresh meat case. He said customers had asked why the price of pork had increased and he told them Prop 12.
For example, a 1-pound package of national brand bacon cost $10.99. My local retailer had the same brand and size for $4.98. The same store in California had a dozen eggs with the cheapest price at $6 per dozen. The store employee noted that customers did not know what Prop 12 was and did not remember voting on it in 2018.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Prop 12 opinion in May 2023 reminded us that only Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce. We greatly appreciate the support of the Iowa delegation and sincerely thank Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, and Representatives Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Zach Nunn and Randy Feenstra, for continuing to stand up for the pork industry as they have done time and again at times.
Lawmakers must act now on the farm bill so that hog farmers can have the certainty needed to provide all consumers with sustainable, affordable and nutritious protein well into the future and for years to come. Without a fix for Prop 12 in the farm bill, this opens up a patchwork of state-by-state regulations that will affect many industries, not just the pork sector.
Trish Cook is a former president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association and a Buchanan County pig farmer.
This article originally appeared in the Des Moines Register: California’s pork policy is causing chaos. Congress must stop this.
