Pork producers received welcome news this week after California adjusted the July 1 Proposition 12 implementation date, granting six months of additional relief.
The new implementation date comes after the Food Equity Alliance filed a joint stipulation with the California Superior Court asking for the delay. The extension will allow pork products to remain stocked on California’s shelves until December 31.
The measure was originally passed in 2018 with the backing of more than two-thirds of voters and was supposed to go into effect Jan. 1, 2022, but its implementation had been delayed until July 1 of this year because of the challenge to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and its consideration before the nation’s high court in the suit NPCC V. Ross.
“We appreciate Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture for their efforts over the past month to find a solution to achieve a smoother transition for the entire pork value chain, including our foreign trading partners,” wrote National Pork Producer CEO Bryan Humphries.
CDFA says that it will continue to focus its implementation resources on providing guidance for pork industry partners.
While the six-month delay isn’t much, it’s a start and will give members of the pork industry the opportunity to work to find solutions.
“While this temporary solution does not solve the challenges and uncertainty California Proposition 12 brings to our industry, NPPC looks forward to working with Congress to find a permanent solution to this problem.”
