According to the AP News, “At the beginning of next year, California will begin enforcing an animal welfare proposition approved overwhelmingly by voters in 2018 that requires more space for breeding pigs, egg-laying chickens and veal calves.” For more information from AP News read here.
Prop 12 not only affects how animals are raised, but affects processing plants, restaurants, supply chain, consumers, and the farmers who raise hogs outside of California.
What does this mean for those industries in the midwest and elsewhere in the United States? In my opinion, it’s definitely legislation that farmers and consumers both need to pay attention to. Many time states follow suit to California’s laws. Some questions that come to mind are:
“How much will it raise the cost of pork products?”
“Will farmers be able to absorb the cost of retrofitting facilities?”
“How will processing facilities continue to differentiate between hogs from the appropriate farms and those that aren’t?”
“Are consumers willing to pay more for pork products?”
“Will there be a transition to more hog farmers utilizing direct sales?”
“Will there be more farms that start up in the ‘classic’ way of raising hogs?”
Leave a Reply