Pork Producers Call on USDA to Help Industry

WASHINGTON, DC – Pork producers are waiting to see if USDA can assist the industry after a recent federal district court ruled that the 20-year-old New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) should not be implemented in the next few weeks.

According to the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), the ruling will result in a 2.5 percent loss in pork packing plant capacity, nationwide, while reducing income for small pork producers by more than $80 million.

At the center of the ruling is a provision in the NSIS that allows for faster harvest facility line speeds. The rule dates back to the Clinton administration and has been evaluated successfully at five pilot plants over the past five years. It was also approved for industry-wide adoption two years ago.

The court’s ruling will have the opposite effect sought by those seeking to expand the number of meatpacking plant facilities.

Lawmakers have recently called for increasing the number of pork processing facilities nationwide by bringing smaller state plants up to federal inspection standards, but the industry says these facilities represent less than one percent of total harvest capacity and the court’s ruling will not expand the number of meatpacking plants but will have the opposite effect.

NPPC is urging USDA to appeal the ruling, seek a stay while the appeal is considered, and request the agency pursue a new, fast-tracked rulemaking that better reflects the modern processing plant technologies and practices and allows for higher line speeds.
(SOURCE: All Ag News)