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Hearings on growing Missouri dairy industry

Three hearings on emerging agriculture issues in Missouri wrapped up last week. While a number of subjects came before the interim House committee, a lot was said about strengthening Missouri’s dairy industry.  Dave Drennan, with the Missouri Dairy Association and Missouri Dairy Growth Council says among the ideas are apprenticeships for young people getting into the dairy industry…

“That’s one of the programs proposed at those hearings that the state look at and I think that’s a real option. We threw out several ideas. Some of them hinge on whether we get a new Farm Bill passed, quite frankly.”

He says decisions at the state level will depend on what’s in a federal five-year farm bill, “Depending on what the Farm Bill ends up looking like then we can see what maybe else we could get done here in the state that would help existing producers stay in business, help them grow their business or bring that next generation in and also maybe provide opportunities for new neighbors.”

Missouri House Ag Committee chairman Casey Guernsey is the chairman of the interim committee. Hearings were held in Springfield, Harrisonville and Savannah.