Pork already in the pipeline will get an added six months to be sold in California before the standards of Proposition 12 go fully into effect under an agreement between the courts and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The product must be produced by July 1 and be sold by December 31. U.S. Meat Export Federation Vice President of Economic Analysis Erin Borror said the extension offers a little bit of reprieve for pork supplies.
?It is good news because there was concern about what happens to product because a lot of the industry has three months or so in inventory,? Borror said. ?And so again, it is good news on product that’s already in the chain for California not needing to find a new home for that pork.?
However, Borror said there are still remaining concerns of how Proposition 12 documentation requirements could impact pork headed for export through California ports.
?It does say that that statement needs to be on all documents of title, shipping invoices, bills of lading and shipping manifests,? Borror said. ?And so again, trying to get clarity on whether the statement is on the document that is traveling with the product – so for example, the shippers bill of lading. Is that sufficient? So that’s kind of one question. And then another question, or fact is that not all of this documentation travels physically with the product. So, if the border inspection is happening there, that’s where apparently these documents will be checked. Will it be okay if there’s just the statement on again, if it’s just the trucker bill of lading, that’s with the product and everything else is electronic? So those are some of the you know, seemingly minor details in the whole scheme of Prop 12, but important for those in the export business to understand what exactly will be required as far as that paperwork documentation.?
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