Although the U.S. Supreme Court has denied the petition from the North American Meat Institute to review California’s Proposition 12, the dispute over that has not ended. Nebraska Pork Producer’s Association’s Executive Director Al Juhnke says the pork industry along with American Farm Bureau still have a case against Prop 12 in the District Court in California.
He says besides agriculture group’s opposition there is also pushback from consumers in California over Proposition 12.
Proposition 12 establishes minimum space requirements based on square feet for calves raised for veal, breeding pigs and egg laying hens and bans the sale of animals confined to areas below minimum square feet requirements. Juhnke says some pork producers are trying to adjust to Prop 12 however the pork industry doesn’t like one state dictating to others the farming methods that should be used.
The North American Meat Institute in their petition to the US Supreme Court said Proposition 12 provides no benefit to consumers and increases breeding sow mortality.
