MARIETTA, Pa. — Pennsylvania pork farmers are divided as Congress weighs a new bill regarding the treatment of animals in food production.
Lawmakers across the Midwest, including US Representative Glenn Thompson (R-Centre County), are supporting the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act (EATS Act) as part of a new Farm Bill. The EATS Act would target state anti-cruelty measures, like California's Proposition 12.
Prop 12, which was upheld by the Supreme Court, bans the sale of agricultural products that do not meet California's animal cruelty standards.
David Varner, a spokesman with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, said California’s referendum would hurt pork farmers across the Commonwealth.
“Farms may go out of business; farms may need to increase prices on their end," said Varner. “It’s going to cost a lot in equipment and monetarily it will hurt the farmers. With Prop 12, you’ll see a big or small economic impact.”
However, not all farmers are in agreement. In Lancaster County, HersheyAg already adjusted its operations to be in compliance with California's Prop 12 standards.
Brent Hershey said it is part of a shift away from older methods of animal farming.
“When you objectively look at the best needs of the animal and the animal being able to move around, we overfilled those barns," said Hershey of the old farming system. “Sure, there’s economics, but we need to be able to defend the practices we’re engaging in.”
Varner believes the EATS Act will allow individual states to decide on best farming practices.
“It might work for California, but it might not work for people in Pa., or Illinois, or Massachusetts," said Varner.
However, Hershey argues that the new Prop 12 system will help meet consumer demand.
“When it’s settled and done, we’ll achieve higher production levels than we did with the old systems," said Hershey.