Pork prices are higher in California now that Prop 12 is implemented. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Prop 12 is already raising the price of pork in California. In effect for just over six months, pork sales have dropped across the state. That’s from data compiled by the USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist (OCE).
The OCE found prices for pork products affected by Prop 12, including loins, ribs, and bellies, have averaged 20 percent higher in California since before July 1, 2023, when the initiative was partially implemented. Loin prices average 41 percent higher than before Prop 12 implementation. Pork not covered by the initiative hasn’t significantly increased.
The data also shows that California’s share of fresh pork consumption has “significantly declined.” The economists found the price premium end-users paid for Prop 12-compliant pork compared with non-compliant products at the wholesale level was 22 percent higher on average, with compliant loins and bellies 30 percent higher. Prop 12-compliant pork must meet specific space standards to be legal.
Listen to Sabrina Halvorson’s This Land Of Ours program here.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.