It is a new year, a new Administration in the White House, and a new look in the Senate. That means more work needs to be done to communicate the goals of farmers and producers across the country. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) also has new leadership at the top.
Jen Sorenson of Iowa Select Farms has taken over the reins as President of the NPPC for the next year and is advocating for hog producers all over the United States. The organization?s goals for the upcoming year are very fundamental to guarantee the success of the industry as we come out of a 2020 that left us with more question marks than we cared to see.
Trade is one of the largest issues that is top of mind for the NPPC. Sorenson says that market opportunities are growing in places like the Philippines and Vietnam. Both of those countries are large consumers of pork and have been decimated by the African Swine Fever outbreak. Also, the NPPC desires to see the United States enter back into the CP-TPP, commonly known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Sorenson also highlights litigation against the state of California and their ?Prop 12? ballot initiative. It forces the other 49 states to conform to their standards of raising livestock if they want to sell products there. Sorenson calls it nothing more than a push by ?anti-meat extremists.?
Sorenson also talked about labor reform. NPPC is looking favorably at the Farm Workforce Modernization Act that was put forth in the U.S. House by Representative Zoe Lofgren. (D-CA 19th) Sorenson says the bill modernizes H-2A labor laws and does away with seasonal restrictions.
Sorenson says she is ready to get to work for the nation?s pork producers and looks forward to hearing from them on the concerns they have for the future of the industry.
