Washington, D.C. -— On Monday, Rep. Bob Etheridge signed a joint letter from Members of Congress urging Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to act immediately to assist America’s pork producers during the continuing economic recovery.
“America’s pork producers need immediate action to preserve jobs and protect the long-term economic viability of hog farming in rural communities,” said Etheridge. “There are tens of thousands of jobs connected to pork products in North Carolina and it’s important that we act quickly to provide assistance and save good paying jobs.”
Etheridge joined 62 of his colleagues in signing the letter. Etheridge’s district is home to some of the largest pork processor and hog producers in the world.
Since September 2007, U.S. pork producers have lost over $4 billion in equity due to high input costs and a worldwide recession. The crisis worsened in August of this year due to fears associated with the H1N1 breakout that was frequently referred to as swine flu, giving Americans the false impression that eating pork increased their risk for this disease.