State Legislature

Missouri dairy bill goes to governor

The Dairy Revitalization Act is on its way to Governor Jay Nixon. The bill passed the Missouri House earlier this year and passed the Senate on Thursday. The bill would create a subsidy of up to 70-percent of the cost of federal margin insurance for Missouri dairy producers. The Missouri Dairy Association is urging the governor to sign the legislation right away.

Representative Bill Reiboldt says if the governor signs the bill into law, it would still be up to the legislature to provide money for that subsidy each year, “It IS subject to appropriations and I think people need to understand that. It has to go through the appropriations process. So, every year, this will have to occur.”

The dairy bill also sets up a scholarship program for students who work in the state’s dairy industry and would require a study of the industry each year by the University of Missouri’s commercial ag program. Missouri remains a milk-deficit state and has lost a lot of dairy producers.

Lloyd Gunter, Missouri Dairy Association (MDA) president and a dairy farmer from Conway, says they’re thankful the legislature passed the bill that “will help curb the decline in Missouri dairies and provide opportunities for young people.”