Illinois pork producers group says they suffer because of a California law [Video]

ILLINOIS (25News Now) – Illinois pork farmers say a California law that went into effect in 2023 is hurting business in the Midwest, and are hoping a new national farm bill could help.

Proposition 12 went into effect in California in 2023, requiring pregnant pigs to have 24 square feet to themselves per female, and banning all sales from companies that don’t comply with those regulations across the U.S.

The executive director for the Ilinois Pork Producers Association, Jennifer Tirey, said farmers statewide have suffered because they don’t always have the budget to re-customize their farms.

Tirey also said the group is in the process of advocating for the national farm bill, which would include language around Proposition 12 that benefits local hog farmers.

“It says that California cannot regulate how other states raise their animals,” said Tirey. ” They could make the decisions within their state, but they can’t tell farmers in Illinois how to raise their …