Special Report

Missouri bills support cattle industry

The first would restore language  that would allow the Missouri Beef Checkoff to hold a referendum on a state check-off of 50-cents per head of cattle. A hold was put on the Missouri Beef check-off 30 years ago with the National Beef Check-off of $1 per head went into effect for the first time.

Senator Brian Munzlinger, Chairman of the Missouri Senate Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee, says a state beef check-off would help consumers and Missouri cattle producers, whose herds like those in other states have been shrinking, “You know, the price on some of our meat and our protein that we need and people like, unfortunately, has had to go up because the supply is down. But, I think, if we do this change then they’ll be able to market and tell the consumer why it’s still important to eat that good cut of beef.”

Another priority piece of legislation for Chairman Munzlinger, supported by Missouri House Ag Chair Casey Guernsey, would create liability protection for cattle producers like equine operations have, “The beef industry would like that kind of protection, too. If they have visitors, hunters, whatever, who would get hurt, that’s a liability protection for them.”

Missouri is still a leading cow-calf production state.

Interview with Senator Brian Munzlinger (2:00 mp3)