WASHINGTON — The US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently announced that it would include a non-carcass merit premium for hogs raised in compliance with animal confinement legislation (ACL), such as Prop 12 in California, to its National Weekly Direct Swine Non-Carcass Merit Premium report.

The agency stated that ACL compliant hogs were previously listed under the “other” category that included other certifications and characteristics like antibiotic-free hogs.

“This addition will provide pork industry stakeholders with the information necessary to make informed production and marketing decisions relating to ACL-compliant hogs,” AMS said in its statement.

Prop 12, which will go into effect in 2023, sets conditions for selling pork meat in California regardless of where it was produced in the United States. The state law requires that all products must be from pigs born to a sow house in at least 24 square feet of space.