Several states are reaching out to California poultry farmers who are dissatisfied with a new law regulating livestock housing, according to The Wall Street Journal. This is consistent with responses to the 2009 Egg Industry survey predicting that egg production would move from California to other states.
A November 2008 California referendum prohibits livestock housing “that does not allow [animals] to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs." It goes into effect in 2015.
Many California poultry growers are concerned about the costs of revamping their facilities in compliance with the new legislation. "I've got guys saying they're unwilling to make an investment or try to raise capital, because they don't know how to comply," Fiona Hutton, a spokeswoman for the Association of California Egg Farmers, told The Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper reported that representatives from Nevada, Idaho and Georgia economic development organizations have met with California egg industry members, courting them with promises of lower costs and friendlier regulations. Idaho, for example, is considering an animal protection law that would include separate standards for pets and livestock and would put livestock welfare under the authority of the state’s agricultural department. Currently, both the agricultural department and law enforcement agencies share responsibility for enforcing livestock welfare rules in Idaho. A state senator is also considering introducing legislation to expedite permits for large agribusiness projects, such as egg production complexes.
