Wrapping Statewide Agriculture Tour, McCaskill to Take Feedback from Missouri’s Farmers, Ranchers, Producers Back to Senate

Senator concludes 13-stop tour of Missouri agriculture, research, livestock, producers, biotech, energy—Crisscrossed state to hear directly from farmers and ranchers, promote Missouri’s agriculture economy

WASHINGTON – Wrapping up her statewide Missouri Agriculture Tour, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill will take the feedback she received from Missouri’s farmers, ranchers, producers, and researchers back to the U.S. Senate to help better advocate for the Show-Me State’s vibrant agriculture economy.

McCaskill heard directly this week from a wide variety of producers, farmers, ranchers, researchers, and other stakeholders on the ground in all corners of the state on Missouri’s agriculture needs, and discussed upcoming priorities for Congress on issues affecting Missouri agriculture, including her fight to reduce unreasonable rules and regulations on producers.

“Hearing directly from Missouri’s farmers, ranchers, producers, and researchers is the best way for me to ensure I’m the best fighter for them I can be,”  said McCaskill, who was born in Rolla, Missouri. “I learned a lot from these folks, including that we’ve got to do a better job of rolling back the unnecessary rules and regulations that hinder growth at the same time we ensure that government is giving them the tools to expand their operations and train and incentivize the next generation of farmers. Agriculture is a huge part of Missouri’s economy—connecting urban and rural areas and helping to feed this country and the world—and we’ve got to keep it thriving.”

Visit facebook.com/SenatorMcCaskill and follow @McCaskillOffice on Twitter to view photos from McCaskill’s Missouri Agriculture Tour.

McCaskill held events in cities and towns across the state, including St. Louis, Washington, Palmyra, Laddonia, Mexico, Centralia, Columbia, Kennett, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Mountain Grove, Springfield, and Purdy. Her stops included a visit to the Danforth Plant Science Center, Stanton Brothers Eggs and open range chicken farm, Edgewood Dairy and Creamery, POET Biorefining and ethanol production, a discussion on food deserts, visits with rice, hog, and cattle farmers, and a town hall forum with more than 200 Missouri State University agriculture students.

McCaskill is a longtime advocate for ensuring Missouri's farmers and ranchers have the resources they need to succeed, and for preventing unreasonable rules and regulations on producers. She returns to Washington armed with the feedback and concerns of producers across the state on issues affecting their operations and bottom line.

 

McCaskill’s Fight for Missouri Agriculture

 

Born in Rolla, Mo., and raised in Houston, Lebanon and Columbia, Claire is a longtime advocate for Missouri’s farmers, ranchers, and agriculture economy. Highlights of her accomplishments include:

  • Waging a two year fight—for which she won the National Farmers Union highest legislative honor and accolades from top Missouri Sportsmen’s’ groups—to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill in 2014. The bill included several McCaskill priorities, among them:
    • Created a Permanent Livestock Disaster Assistant Program, providing retroactive payments for producers who suffered losses after the previous Farm Bill expired;
    • Ended Direct Payments;
    • Saved more than $8 billion in the SNAP program without negatively impacting Missourians who rely on this assistance;
    • And provided a year of full funding for the Payment In Lieu of Taxes program.

 

  • Urging the Department of Agriculture to finalize negotiations with China to open up the Chinese market to Missouri rice producers; and traveling to Cuba to explore opportunities to boost agricultural, job, and business opportunities for Missouri producers.
  • Urging the Department of Agriculture to approve crop insurance coverage needs after the agency’s deadline due to record rainfall.  
  • Supporting the bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act legislation aimed at protecting hunting and fishing rights and opening more public lands to outdoor recreation.

 

  • Sponsoring a bipartisan amendment with Senator Blunt that would exempt farmers transporting crops, livestock, and equipment within 150 miles of their farm from regulations aimed at non-farm commercial vehicles and give individual states the freedom to establish safety rules.
  • Introducing legislation to prevent Farm Service Agency offices from closing unless another office is located within 20 miles of driving distance.

  

Visit mccaskill.senate.gov/rural to learn more about McCaskill's fight to protect rural Missouri.

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