Source:  NC Pork Council, 10/5/09

Last week, members of both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate signed a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in support of pork producers. The letter outlined continued economic hardships faced by pork producers and made a plea to USDA for the following:

• Purchase an additional $100 million of pork for various federal food programs; 
• Work with appropriate federal agencies to help address swine disease surveillance on farms, related diagnostic and vaccine development, and swine industry support; and
• Work with the U.S. Trade Representative to open export markets to U.S. pork, particularly China, which continues to impose non-science-based restrictions on U.S. pork since the outbreak of the 2009 H1N1 virus.  In 2008, China was the second largest volume market for U.S. pork exports, accounting for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. pork exports. Given the severely depressed state of the U.S. pork industry, resuming pork exports to China would give producers around the country a much-needed economic boost.

NCPC is grateful for the leadership of much of our Congressional delegation on this effort. The letter was signed by both of our U.S. senators: Richard Burr and Kay Hagan. The letter signed by House members included many from North Carolina: Reps. Walter Jones, Mike McIntyre, Larry Kissell, Bob Etheridge, G.K. Butterfield, and Brad Miller.

Please take a moment to call or email Burr and Hagan, as well as your member of the House if their name is listed above and say "thank you" for signing this letter in support of the pork industry. 

An official copy of the Senate's version of the letter can be found here.