Missouri Senate and House Ag Committees welcome Hulshoff
By Jessica McCormack, posted 02/06/06

The first-ever joint hearing of the Missouri Senate and House Agricultural Committees was held on Jan. 18, 2006.

 “It has been an extremely challenging year for Missouri agriculture,” Senator Dan Clemens, Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, said as he welcomed those in attendance.

U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia testified in regards to the state of Missouri agriculture. He addressed current industry issues from a federal point of view.

One of Missouri’s recent agricultural challenges was the declaration of disaster areas in 112 of Missouri’s 114 counties due to drought during summer of 2005.

“Despite the many challenges that agriculture has faced in the past year, the U.S. agriculture industry reports a $3.5 billion dollar trade surplus in the first 11 months of 2005,” Hulshof said.

Hulshof also touched on issues primarily concerning Missouri’s agriculture industry. Among them were animal agriculture, specifically animal identification and beef markets, the 2007 Farm Bill, Missouri’s rivers, particularly the proposed spring rise, Hurricane Katrina’s effects on Missouri grain transportation, and the Energy Bill.

With gas prices on the rise yet again, Hulshof gave some words of encouragement for Missouri producers and agribusinessmen involved in the production of alternative fuels.

“We need to stop looking to the Middle East and look right here in the Midwest,” Hulshof said as he praised the progress of biodiesel and ethanol production in Missouri.

The 2007 Farm Bill was also a question on several minds of Missouri legislators, commodity organizations and producers.

“We have not even started to craft the 2007 Farm Bill,” Hulshof said. “We need to see significant movement from our trading partners, especially the European Union, before we even begin to look at drafting the bill.”

“We will continue to fight like the family farm depends on it,” Hulshof said.

“How fortunate we are to have congressmen who understand agriculture,” Sen. Dan Clemens, R-20-Marshfield and chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture said as he thanked Rep. Hulshof for attending the hearing.

Also on hand to discuss and support Missouri agriculture were: University of Missouri’s Commercial Agriculture Program coordinator, Rex Ricketts; Missouri FFA Association President, Zach Kinne; Missouri 4-H Council President, Sky Vanderberg and chair of the House Committee on Agriculture Policy, Rep. Peter Myers, R-160-Sikeston.

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