Policy
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Related Amber Waves Articles
Federal programs for hogs are not comparable to those for crops.
Federal legislation provides assistance to farmers with emergency
feed, meat purchasing, disease eradication, drought assistance, and
conservation and environmental programs.
- When producers are experiencing financial stress, USDA's
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) may purchase meats for
domestic feeding programs to help strengthen prices through Commodity Purchase Programs.
- USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service oversees
USDA's disease eradication programs such as that for pseudorabies, a viral swine disease.
- USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides assistance to
producers for natural disaster losses resulting from
drought, floods, fire, freezes, tornadoes, pest infestations, or
other calamities.
- Other programs for livestock operations include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP), which provides technical, educational, and financial
assistance to eligible farmers and ranchers to address soil, water,
and related natural resource concerns on their lands in an
environmentally beneficial and cost-effective manner.
The trend toward fewer and larger enterprises has brought
environmental issues to the forefront of public policy regarding
the hog industry. As animal density increases, so do concerns
regarding air and water quality, occupational health, and waste
management. In areas of greatest concentration of hog production,
human population density is increasing as well. These trends hold
the potential for growing conflicts of interest between nearby
residents and hog producers resulting from odor, water
contamination, and other environmental problems associated with
concentrated production.
The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) provides information about national
environmental requirements specifically related to the producing
agricultural animals, including fish and other aquatic animals. EPA
promulgates and enforces livestock waste regulations, including
those on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. Many
States and locales have regulations on the size of confined animal
operations, odor, waste disposal, and water quality as they relate
to agriculture.
Agricultural policy extends to trade, and agriculture is one of
the topic areas in the
World Trade Organization that has been opened to negotiations.
In addition to market forces, sanitary and phytosanitary
regulations, tariffs, quotas, and other policies affect the trade
of animal products.