News

NEFB would like strategic plan to grow ag economy

The head of the Nebraska Farm Bureau says the state’s ag sector maybe at a crossroads in an effort to grow the economy.

“If we don’t grow the ag complex, Nebraska doesn’t do better, especially our economies.”

Mark McHargue tells Brownfield he’s trying to gain support from stakeholders to develop a set of strategic goals for the ag complex, anything that contributes to agriculture’s economic impact.  “Where do we want to be in the next 7 to 10 years? Is it $100 billion? What will it take to accomplish that goal in the ag complex?”

He says a study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln showed more than $81 billion per year in economic impact  is generated from the ag complex.

He says two areas of opportunity are: “To grow the dairy sector, we have to bring in processors and there has to be combination of things that happen there.  When you look at biofuels, you can see the possibilities of sustainable aviation fuel.”

McHargue says zoning, workforce, housing and childcare are some of the biggest challenges.