News

Dairy bill advances in Missouri

The Missouri House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed the Missouri Dairy Revitalization Act of 2014. The effort seeks to reverse the rapid decline in Missouri’s dairy industry and preserve the state’s 15 milk processing plants. In 2003, Missouri had 129,000 milk cows producing nearly 1.9 billion pounds of milk. By the end of 2013 the state was down to 90,000 cows and 1.35 billion pounds of milk. Earlier this year the USDA replaced Missouri with South Dakota on the list of 23 Major Dairy States.

Missouri Dairy Association’s Dave Drennan tells Brownfield Ag News they are pleased, “We were expecting a positive vote but the fact that it was 137 to 4 is overwhelming. It really is.”

Sponsored by Representatives Casey Guernsey (District 2) and Bill Reiboldt (District 160), the Act would have the University of Missouri determine how much sales tax revenue is generated in the state from the sale of dairy products. No more than 40 percent of that revenue would then be appropriated to a Revitalization Fund which would help Missouri dairy producers pay for the federal margin insurance premiums; create a Dairy Scholars Program for students who commit to working in Missouri’s agriculture industry and make available up to 80 scholarships of $5,000 each to assist with tuition at a two or four year college or university in the state.

The plan also requires the University of Missouri Commercial Agriculture Program to conduct an annual study of the dairy industry and then develop a plant to grow and enhance dairy production and processing in Missouri.

The bill now awaits State Senate action which Drennan says could be as soon as next week.

~Brownfield’s Bob Meyer contributed to this report