Effort to Help Small Farmer Stalls in House

An effort to protect the family farmer runs into some resistance in the Missouri House. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Sam Leake of Center has met with some who oppose a state version of the federal Packer and Stockyards Act. Frustration with how the federal government has enforced or failed to enforce the Packer and Stockyards Act has led Representatives such as Gary Wiggins of New Cambria to push for a state law prohibiting packer and stockyard discrimination against the small farmer. But Representative Gary Marble of Neosho is unhappy that the state version being debated in the House includes poultry, something the federal law doesn’t. Much debate likely remains before the House votes on the measure.