Gov. Jay Nixon's administration says it does not anticipate holding a special legislative session to address falling prices for dairy producers, despite a request from head of the state's Dairy Association."The Missouri Dairy Association (MDA) requests your leadership in calling for a special session of the Missouri General Assembly to address the current crisis facing dairy producers," wrote Missouri Dairy Association president Larry Purdom in a letter to Gov. Nixon.
"Missouri’s dairy producers are losing thousands of dollars and the impact on the economy of Missouri is staggering. Prices received by dairymen are at a historic bottom, currently averaging about $5.00 per hundredweight below production costs . . . Our August 12 request to you for a one time emergency payment of $2.00 per hundredweight from Federal stimulus money totaling $16.48 million should be one item discussed in a special session of the Missouri General Assembly," Purdom wrote.
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Nixon's Director of Agriculture Dr. Jon Hagler said a special session is not anticipated.
"Producers in Missouri have been faced with challenges and continue to struggle during these hard economic times. The Missouri Department of Agriculture, as well as Governor Nixon, understands the struggles that the dairy industry in our state is facing. Although we do not anticipate a special session, we will continue to look at all possible avenues and common sense solutions that work for Missouri producers," Hagler said.
"Producers in Missouri have been faced with challenges and continue to struggle during these hard economic times. The Missouri Department of Agriculture, as well as Governor Nixon, understands the struggles that the dairy industry in our state is facing. Although we do not anticipate a special session, we will continue to look at all possible avenues and common sense solutions that work for Missouri producers," Hagler said.
The Dairy Association contends that 30 dairy farms across the state have closed over the last six months.
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