Missouri Dairy Association takes stand on Prop B

The Missouri Dairy Association (MDA) board of directors took several actions at a recent board meeting concerning Proposition B, the proposed reintroduction of wild elk in Missouri and Mexico’s trade sanctions on US dairy exports.

“We are members of the Missourians for Animal Care and continue to oppose the adoption of Proposition B and the activities of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in Missouri,” says MDA President and dairy farmer Larry Purdom of Purdy. “HSUS’s agenda is clear. They want to do away with all animal agriculture and Proposition B is just the first step in Missouri. Proposition B brings more government control and regulations on the Missouri pet breeding industry and does nothing that isn’t already in Missouri law except limit the number of breed dogs.

“HSUS has no connection with our local animal shelters. MDA supports proper animal care but is not going to stand for attacks by out of state activists and their money who want to destroy our livelihood with false information and scare tactics, “says Purdom.

“Our board also opposes the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announced proposal to reintroduce elk in Missouri. According to the plan, wild elk will be released in Carter, Reynolds and Shannon Counties. Our concern is the possible transmission of disease between the elk and Missouri livestock. Elk are known to carry diseases such as tuberculosis, brucellosis and chronic wasting disease. There are no known cases of these diseases in Missouri at the present time so why provide the opportunity for a disease outbreak to happen and damage our livestock industry?” says Purdom.
Another issue facing agriculture and the dairy industry is the ongoing trade dispute of letting trucks from Mexico deliver products into the US. Mexico is a top export customer for many US agricultural products including dairy. The Mexican Government has put a 20-25% tariff on some US cheese exports in retaliation for the US violating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). “Our board fears the long term detrimental effect this could have on dairy farm prices if the situation is not resolved,” says Purdom. “We are encouraging our Congressional delegation to work with the White House to resolve this trade dispute as soon as possible.”