The President of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) says the industry is developing federal legislation that would address California’s livestock confinement law. Duane Stateler says Proposition 12 has created a patchwork of state regulations.
“We have Q3 in Massachusetts, and we now have a new one coming in Oklahoma,” he says. “It’s just a disruption for the industry. All it is doing is costing consumers. We could end up losing producers because of the added expense. They may not have the added capital and may not see any return on that investment right away.”
Stateler says the Chairman of the U.S. House Ag Committee, Glenn “GT” Thompson, has included language in a new farm bill that is expected to come out at the end of this month.
“It did not have a capital expenditure in the budget in 2025,” he says. “It was not going to cost taxpayers anything. If a state wants to have something for their people to consume, they wouldn’t be able to restrict another state’s production practices.”
According to Stateler, the industry remains optimistic for a solution that would keep producers profitable and cut costs for consumers.
The law (Prop 12), which was initially passed by California voters in 2018, faced legal challenges, but was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court leading to its full enforcement in January 2024.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
As the former Director of Agriculture for the State of Michigan, I can attest that having a “patchwork” of laws and regulations across the U.S. that farmers, ranchers, processors or distributors have to comply with is a real headache. Groups or companies would often appeal to states to improve coordination of those laws and regulations and make life less complicated and difficult for businesses to succeed. Prop 12 and laws attempting to regulate how animals are housed and produced have created confusion and uncertainty in the marketplace for years. Ultimately, consumers are the ones who pay the price. It will be interesting to see if this matter can finally be put to rest with legislation at the federal level.
Speaking of making life better, be sure to mention CAD Protect to farmers/ranchers when they purchase that new truck from you. If it is used on a farm or ranch, the OEM may have exclusions in the warranty. However, CAD Protect is specifically designed to cover vehicles used on the farm or ranch.
