After a flurry of court action following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold California’s Proposition 12, a Sacramento judge has delayed implementation for another six months. The announcement follows a litany of delays over the last two years. Several California-based agriculture, restaurant and retail groups filed legal action over the legislation in November 2021. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) says the delay is “welcome news” for hog farmers across the country.

Six months of additional relief will allow grocery stores to keep shelves stocked for 40 million Californians, according to NPPC CEO Bryan Humphreys. However, the delay is a temporary band-aid on what’s going to be a costly shift for most U.S. pork producers. According to Rabobank, only 4% of the U.S. sow housing is currently able to meet California’s new standards.

Read more on Prop 12 and the new delay here.