Gov. Nixon Discusses Agriculture and Rural Economic Development with FFA Students in Centralia

Press Release

During a roundtable discussion with FFA students at Centralia High today, Gov. Jay Nixon discussed his priorities for creating jobs in rural communities and expanding Missouri's beef industry. The Governor said that while Missouri has the second highest number of beef cows in the nation, more than a billion dollars annually is earned elsewhere because 95 percent of the cattle raised in Missouri are finished and harvested out-of-state.

Gov. Nixon announced that he will convene a summit of industry stakeholders on January 5, 2015 to develop strategies to maximize the potential of Missouri's cattle industry and spur economic development in rural areas. The summit will take place at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

"Strengthening Missouri agriculture and creating good jobs in rural communities continue to be key priorities of this administration," said Gov. Nixon. "Hard work and ingenuity have always been hallmarks of Missouri farm families, and these FFA students are no exception. The goal of our beef summit will be to harness the strengths of Missouri agriculture to help farm families get the maximum value from their herds, create jobs and generate lasting economic growth in our rural communities."

Missouri ranks second in the nation in cow/calf inventory. Missouri farmers are primarily involved in small-scale cow-calf operations, with an average herd size of 38 head. Ninety-five percent of Missouri cattle are finished and processed out-of-state. The purpose of the Governor's Beef Summit will be to identify ways to help farmers grow their herds, add value to Missouri beef products, and generate additional economic development opportunities in rural areas.

The Governor's Beef Summit will feature panel discussions by experts in cattle genetics from the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; representatives from major national beef packers; cattlemen representing the complete spectrum of herd size, and corn and soybean commodity groups. To register for the Governor's Beef Summit, go to mda.mo.gov/beefsummit.

In addition to modernizing and expanding Missouri's beef industry, the Governor also cited investing in public schools, cultivating a skilled workforce, attracting advanced manufacturing jobs, and maintaining fiscal discipline as critical components of his administration's broader rural economic development strategy.

The Missouri Department of Economic Development has also been visiting communities around the state with a team of specialists from economic development, workforce, tourism, and educational institutions to develop custom-tailored strategies to help create jobs and grow local economies.

Missouri also continues to increase the number of counties that have been certified as Certified Work Ready Communities by ACT. In 2012, Missouri was selected as one of the first four states to participate in the initiative and now leads the nation in the number of fully certified counties. The initiative aligns workforce training programs with the economic development needs of communities; matches appropriate applicants to jobs based on skill level; and strengthens businesses by strengthening the workforce.

In 2013, Jasper County, Missouri was named the first Certified Work Ready Community in the nation, and six more Missouri counties -- Butler, Franklin, Henry, Jefferson, Ripley and St. Francois -- are now fully certified.

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