Love note from Jeff City

Greetings, my fellow Missourians

On Thursday, I traveled to Jefferson City and sat in on a Joint Ag Committee. Due to the passage of SB 391 during the 2019 legislative session, an annual Joint Committee made of the House and Senate is required to meet to review CAFO’s. The committee received annual reports from various associations.

Dr. Scott Brown, a MU Economist gave a presentation entitled “An Assessment of the Effects of COVID-19 on Missouri Agriculture”. Dr. Brown discussed the 2020 Outlook and made the following points:

• The assumed return to normal planting and growing weather in 2020, after last year’s record large prevented plantings, increases projected area, yields and supplies and lowers prices for corn and soybeans in 2020/21

• In spite of increased pork exports to China in 2020, expansion in pork production limits the increase in 2020 barrow and gilt prices

• With production leveling off and resumed increases in exports, prices for fed and feeder cattle increase beginning in 2020

• Net farm income increases to $99 billion in 2020, but net cash income declines

Dr. Brown concluded with the Show-Me-State Food, Beverage & Forest Products Manufacturing Initiative: Expand Missouri’s traditional agricultural commodities, Invest in new Missouri-grown commodities and Create new value-added products and processes.

Tony Clayton, a livestock exporter talked about the importance of herd health, disease protection and the need for Veterinarian and lab testing facilities. Mr. Clayton sends dairy heifers all over the world and just received an order from Iran for 4,000 Jersey dairy heifers. He is looking for the opportunity to export feeder cattle also. He commented, “Hungry people are dangerous people” but believes we have potential for breeding enough livestock to feed the world.

Representative Don Rone and Representative Dan Shaul spoke about local Missouri meat processing plants. They would like the Missouri Grocers Association to co-op with livestock producers to operate meat processing plants patterned after the ethanol method and soy diesel refineries. The idea of the co-op is to sell Missouri raised pork and beef through Missouri Grocers.

Department of Natural Resources Director Rich Germinder spoke specifically about CAFO’s. There are 498 regulated facilities in the state. He addressed the regulations on buffer distances from residences, wells, streams and lakes. They informed the committee that they investigate 100% of complaints made.