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Missouri Farm Bureau annual meeting kicks off

Trade is part of the discussion at the Missouri Farm Bureau’s annual meeting this week. Former chief ag negotiator, Gregg Doud, currently with Aimpoint Research, told attendees the United States will need to find new ways to stay competitive globally, especially with Brazil increasing corn and soybean production.

“We are going to see a corn crop out of Brazil the likes of which we’ve never seen before. Brazil’s corn is usually more expensive than the U.S. until now,” said Doud. “What can we do in the United States, in terms of alternatives, to keep our markets where they need to be? What kinds of value-added things can we start working on like animal protein or renewable diesel?”

The general session of the annual meeting happens first thing on Monday morning featuring the president’s annual address and an update from Governor Parson.

On Monday afternoon, Missouri Farm Bureau delegates will meet and set policy priorities for the year ahead. President Garrett Hawkins said delegates are expected to address property rights, the farm bill and energy.

“There will be discusson on carbon credit trading as we think about everything happening in the climate space and also, hydroelectric dams and decommissioning those we’re seeing in western states.”

The annual meeting continues through Tuesday.