Raleigh, NC - Gov. Hunt came out in favor of legislation that very well could put many of North Carolina's smaller farmers out of business, according to the North Carolina Pork Council.
The House Environment Committee is considering extending the moratorium on the construction and expansion of North Carolina hog farms but has not made a decision on the issue. The current moratorium, set to expire in March 1999, will deprive hundreds of North Carolina's smaller family farmers of some $25-$30 million dollars in lost income this year due to a shortage of space to feed some 2 1/2 - 3 million pigs to market weight. These pigs are being shipped to farmers in other states to be fed where the farmers are paid $10 - $11 dollars per head to finish the pigs.
Production agriculture in North Carolina depends primarily on tobacco, poultry and pigs to generate most of the income for farmers. Tobacco income this year is expected to be down some $200 million dollars due to a reduction in allotments, the future of the tobacco program is in doubt. Add to this the recent destruction of millions of dollars worth of tobacco, corn, soybeans and peanuts caused by Hurricane Bonnie, very little expansion is planned in broilers and turkeys and the moratorium on new hog farms is having a devastating impact on the ability of North Carolina's farmers to stay in business.
A few elected officials continue to ignore the results of their own state mandated, environmental agency inspections that indicate that over the past year and a half, less than 1% of North Carolina hog farms had discharges that reached the surface waters of the state, and they continue to attack the farmers that grow pigs. In the past five years, approximately half of North Carolina's smaller pork producers have left the business primarily due to the piling on of layer upon layer of regulations that mandate what they can and can't do.
It is commendable that Gov. Hunt will do anything in his power to protect the future of the smaller tobacco farmer in this state, but it is inconceivable that if that same farmer happens to grow pigs, the Governor will support legislation that very well could cause him to lose his farm.
It is a sad state of affairs when some of our elected officials care more about the politics of the situation or about getting re-elected, than they care about the future of thousands of family farmers in North Carolina.
Meat Industry Insights News Service
P.O. Box 553
Northport, NY 11768
Phone: 631-757-4010
Fax: 631-757-4060
E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com
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