Yesterday, USDA’s Ag Marketing Service published the premiums for hogs compliant with California Proposition 12 and Massachusetts Question 3 under the mandatory price reporting program. The data was in the Non-Carcass Merit Premium report under the category “Animal Confinement Legislation.” As shown below, there was a wide range for the premium, with an average of $4.94 per hundredweight. With the aggregated data it is unclear, but probably safe to assume, that the spread is due to smaller packers offering higher premiums, and larger packers offering lower premiums. 

The categories above are what AMS reports on, though there are a myriad of premiums aggregated under “other.” Some categories are no longe...