California animal welfare regulations set to take effect next year could pose major disruptions to the U.S pork industry, according to a report from Rabobank.
California’s Proposition 12 regulates the amount of space allowed for breeding sows, and less than 4% of U.S. sow housing can meet the new standard, the report warns. The amount of pork available that’s compliant with the regulations could be 50% short of what the state needs, the report says, leading to high prices for California consumers.
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Two legal challenges to the regulations are currently underway, one from the National Pork Producers Council and another from the North American Meat Institute.
CDFA has this week posted a new set of FAQs to offer more clarity on the Prop. 12 implementation.
