Despite a change in the political party leading the nation, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) believes there are indications Canada will move forward with retaliation against the United States over its Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law. Justin Trudeau, head of Canada’s Liberal Party, defeated Prime Minister Stephen Harper of the Conservative Party after a heated election. In response to a pre-election … Read More
NPPC Questions Prison Pork Removal
This week, NPPC asked the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for more details on its decision to remove pork from the menu at its 122 facilities beginning Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year. A BOP Spokesman has stated that the move was supposedly based both on costs and the results from a survey of federal inmates. NPPC … Read More
Ag Groups Pleased with Court Ruling Against WOTUS
A new ruling issued today by a federal appeals court places a nationwide stay on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Rule, better known as Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS). The court agreed with petitioners that the treatment in the rule of tributaries, “adjacent waters,” and waters having a “significant nexus” to navigable waters is at odds with a previous … Read More
Ag Industy Comments on TPP Negotiations
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations have successfully concluded in Atlanta and many believe it will benefit all sectors of the U.S. economy by boosting U.S. exports and eliminating trade barriers. “While the full details of the partnership will not be released until the President presents it to Congress, cattle producers are assured this is a true 21st century agreement,” said … Read More
Senate Reauthorizes Mandatory Livestock Price Reporting
U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, has announced Senate passage of H.R. 2051, the Agriculture Reauthorizations Act of 2015. The bipartisan legislation reauthorized Mandatory Price Reporting (MPR), the National Forest Foundation Act and the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA). “I’m proud to lead a Committee that gets things done in a … Read More
NPPC Urges South Africa to Lift Restriction on US Pork
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is continuing to urge South Africa to lift their restrictions on U.S. pork. The United States and South Africa are continuing to discuss market access for U.S. meat and poultry; the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is continuing a review of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which benefits South Africa; … Read More
NPPC Urges Senate To Pass Mandatory Price Reporting Bill
The National Pork Producers Council is urging the Senate to approve legislation reauthorizing the livestock mandatory price reporting law after today’s markup by the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Committee. The law expires Sept. 30. The statute requires meat packers to report to the U.S. Department of Agriculture the prices they pay for cattle, swine and lambs and other information. … Read More
NPPC Urges WOTUS Delay
Following Thursday’s federal court injunction against a new Clean Water Act (CWA) rule, the National Pork Producers Council says they strongly urge the Obama administration to delay implementation of the regulation. The organization also again asked the administration to withdraw it and to work with the agriculture and business communities to craft a rule ensuring the cleanliness of the nation’s … Read More
District Court Reverses Case Against Pork Checkoff
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is reversing a previously dismissed lawsuit which alleges pork checkoff funds improperly benefit the lobbying efforts of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). The lawsuit was filed in 2012 by an Iowa pork producer, the Humane Society of the United States, and the Iowa Citizen for Community Improvement. The reversal … Read More
NPPC Says Withdraw Trade Benefits for South Africa
The National Pork Producers Council submitted comments asking the Obama administration to withdraw or limit preferential trade benefits for South Africa because of that country’s reluctance to provide market access to U.S. pork. “South Africa has shown that it is pleased to take advantage of U.S. preferential trade programs but is unwilling to extend even customary equitable treatment to imports … Read More