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State ag leaders weigh in on Proposition 12

State agriculture leaders were asked about regulating interstate commerce at the 2023 Farm Progress Show.

Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn says the US Supreme Court ruling on California’s Proposition 12 put a deadline on swine farms like hers.

“We just brought our son back into the operation and when that Supreme Court ruling came down, he came to us and he said, do I need to go find a job off the farm? It’s going to cost 6 to $8 million for our family to retrofit our barns to get a new genetic line.”

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says the issue goes beyond agriculture and he is hopeful for congressional action to restore balance.

“We used to really think about how we need to go gain market access overseas somewhere right? I truly believe that we are now going to be fighting for market access in our own country and that is detrimental to us.”

Chinn and Naig joined House Ag Committee member Mary Miller of Illinois for an ag outlook panel discussion hosted by Golden Harvest on Tuesday.

Audio: Miller, Chinn and Naig answer questions on interstate commerce during a panel at the 2023 Farm Progress Show