Farmers say rising dollar andapronx falling prices biggest threat to state agriculture, but also a key to boosting local economies.
According to state Department of Agriculture, agriculture generates about $1.5 billion in sales and $1.1 billion in revenue.
“To save the state money that was going to be spent on farming, I think, should be the number one priority,” said state Rep. Rick Simpson, R-Greeley, whose district is close to the border with Kansas.
Simpson has been pushing legislation to allow state sales to grow at the federal rate. Currently, that’s being enforced only in certain areas, such as the state’s central farming states.
For example, in the Mid-Missouri and Northern Kansas wheat-producing states where grain accounts for about half of production, state officials have proposed to give farmers a three-year extension, allowing them to grow grain and hire more staff to help run the farms.
The increase is a major boon for the farm economy, which has been struggling under the current $600 million grain tax. More than 6,000 jobs in Missouri’s farming industry were lost in the first quarter of 2012, according to state figures. Those losses would be even more severe if not for the rise in local food prices, and Missouri farmers say more and more are looking to save.
“The more dollars you save by buying local food at a reas우리카지노onable price, the more you’re going to give back to local farmers,” said Mike Stadtmaier, a spokesman for the state Agriculture Department.
The state’s agriculture department is working to establish a new regional office to work in conjunction with local economic development agencies to help farm operations better navigate the shifting economic landscape, including the emergence of large urban farms in some regions, Stadtmaier said. He also said local communities will have more direct 바카라사이트role in determining a farmer’s food prices to ensure “good values” for consumers.
Kansas will soon have a new office to work with, and Simpson is pushing for a similar extension for Kansas farmers.
And if Kansas doesn’t act, Simpson hopes other western states will.
“There’s a lot more of us that want to do more locally,” Simpson said.
The legislation, if it’s signed by Gov. Sam Brownback, also aims to increase financial resources for community and non-profit organizations in the states affected by the new grain tax.
The state’s biggest farms are likely to see the biggest increases in price, though not all — particularly i
