Hog farmers in Iowa, and across the country, have experienced an unprecedented disruption in their ability to raise and sell animals over the last few months. While the federal and state governments have stepped in to provide aid, the question remains: Is it enough?

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) estimates U.S. hog farmers stand to lose about $5 billion for the remainder of the year. Additionally, costs are still unknown for the millions of hogs that have been or may yet be euthanized as market-ready animals back up on farms due to ongoing bottlenecks at processors.

Pork producers are pinning their hopes on legislation called the Responding to Epidemic Losses and Investing in the...