Pork Producers Reignite Push for ‘Skinny’ Farm Bill, Federal Fix for Prop-12

While the 2018 Farm Bill received an extension under the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” Act, the National Pork Producers Council wants lawmakers to do more to support the sector.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD-TV) —Pork producers are renewing the push for an updated Farm Bill in the next few months. While the 2018 legislation got another extension from the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” Act (OBBBA), the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) want lawmakers to do more to support the agriculture industry.

NPPC’s former President Lori Stevermer told RFD-TV News a new Farm Bill would address several issues in the pork sector, including California’s Prop 12, a problem for producers with impacts far beyond the state’s borders.

“We have talked about the Farm Bill a number of times, and it’s been the one issue that’s been across my whole time on the board,” Stevermer said. “We’re still hopeful that there’s going to be a skinny farm bill yet. [House Ag Committee] Chairman [Glen “GT”] Thompson has been very supportive of the pork industry. He wants a ‘skinny’ Farm Bill. And you know, just as a reminder, that’s where our federal solution for Prop 12 is in that -- so we’re hoping there’s some type of preemption -- because really, once again, our farmers are concerned about that patchwork of regulations. So, if there is no Farm Bill, if nothing happens, then that’s the concern that each state will create its own type of production standard or production regulations, and then our farmers are stuck working with that patchwork.”

The latest extension of the 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law over the summer and runs through next September.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Dr. Jeffrey Gold provides insights on supporting aging populations in rural communities on this week’s Rural Health Matters segment.
OHFB President Bill Patterson shares an update from Washington on the group’s policy priorities and the issues shaping agriculture ahead of the 2026 planting season.
Ben Kurtzman with American Farmland Trust discusses the growing pressure on farmland and ranchland and the steps being taken to help conserve farms and ranches across the country ,as unrest in the Middle East adds more obstacles for producers.
NRECA CEO Jim Matheson warns that rising electricity demand from AI and data centers could strain the grid and affect rural electric cooperatives if U.S. power infrastructure cannot keep up.
Tidal Grow’s AlignN delivers encapsulated nitrogen to leaves, boosting in-season response, yield gains, and farm profits.
Katie Keener with the National Women in Agriculture Association joins us to celebrate women in agriculture and spotlight programs and initiatives aimed at empowering female producers across the country.