Press Releases
Agriculture Subcommittee Hears Concerns From the Pork Industry about Dire Economic Conditions
Washington, DC,
October 22, 2009
MEDIA CONTACT: Today, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry held a hearing to examine the economic conditions facing the pork industry. Members of the Subcommittee heard testimony from the Deputy Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as from pork producers, processors, and industry experts about the complex set of circumstances that have led to the troubling economic situation for the pork industry. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) issued the following statement regarding the hearing. "Today's hearing told a story of difficult economic conditions for the pork community. The causes are many and varied. As we go forward, we should keep today's hearing in mind as we consider the cost to struggling farmers of policy proposals like cap and trade, food safety, health care, antibiotic legislation, energy policy, animal welfare, industry structure, and tax law. "It is important for us to pay particular attention to the adverse effects on producers that are a result of government action. Actions such as trade policies and additional regulatory burdens like mandatory country-of-origin labeling do not help and in many cases only hurt this industry and others in agriculture." |