Pork Producers Like EQIP Provisions

April 29, 2002

National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Dave Roper "commended" farm bill conferees for provisions affecting the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), provisions "that will help livestock producers of all sizes and types meet new federal, state and local environmental rules."

Roper said details of the agreement between House and Senate conferees "are not entirely known, (but) it appears that the new six year farm bill will include a significant investment in EQIP," Roper said. "Family owned or operated pork operations come in all sizes, and a large proportion of them will need to be able to access public resources if they are to remain economically viable while providing the American people with the environmental benefits they seek."

The farm bill reportedly provides the EQIP program with up to $11 billion over the next 10 years, said NPPC. Estimates indicate it will cost livestock and poultry producers more than $12.2 billion over the next 10 years to meet the projected costs of federal, state and local mandatory manure management, water and air quality protection requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) own analysis for its proposed CAFO rule assumes it will cost a 3,444 head farrow to finish swine operation in the Midwest $332,000 in capital costs and $26,000 in annual recurring costs to comply.

Roper said pork producers were disappointed that conferees included mandatory country of origin labeling in the bill. "Country of origin meat labeling is unnecessary and counterproductive," Roper said. "Its costs will fall disproportionately on producers, it could lead to international retaliation and may cripple our efforts to open international markets to American livestock producers. Further, the plan exempts pork's biggest competitor, poultry. Hopefully, in the two years that this program is voluntary, its true ramifications will become known."