The House Ag Committee pushed through their version of Farm Bill 2.0 last week. If that version ends up being the final one, it would include an end to California’s costly Prop 12 animal confinement restrictions.
California Democrat Jim Costa tried his best to strike the “Save Our Bacon” Act from the farm bill before it got out of committee last week.
“Language that’s in the bill would invalidate what the voters of California passed,” Costa said. “My amendment would provide for a continued level playing field and allow for competition that clearly exists throughout our 50 states.”
But competition is exactly what Midwest pork producers complain California’s Prop 12 destroyed in the nation’s largest pork market.
“Since its enactment, we have seen retail pork prices rise in California by almost 20 percent, and premium cuts increase by up to 40 percent,” explained House Ag Chair and Pennsylvania Republican Glenn “GT” Thompson. “It’s hit low-income households especially hard with recent data showing that they’ve reduced their pork purchases by 22 percent.”
Thompson explains that Prop 12 isn’t just costly for California residents.
“Prop 12 has similarly burdened producers, as they now face costs upwards of $4500 per sow to simply become compliant with arbitrary standards.”
Thompson insisted the “Save Our Bacon” Act does not interfere with a state’s right to regulate its own agriculture—something the Supreme Court upheld when it ruled on earlier Prop 12 challenges.
Costa finally dropped his bid to kill the GOP-led measure and argued instead that USDA should come up with a national animal confinement standard.
Source: NAFB News Service
