The Missouri Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman has been chosen to serve on GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump’s new Agricultural Advisory Committee.

Sen. Brian Munzlinger Photo courtesy of Brownfield Ag News

Sen. Brian Munzlinger
Photo courtesy of Brownfield Ag News

State Sen. Brian Munzlinger (R-Williamstown) is on the Committee, which was announced by Trump on Tuesday.

“Well I think it’s a great opportunity at least for somebody here in Missouri to give some input into direction that we need in the agriculture industry,” Munzlinger says.

Munzlinger says he was a “little” upset at first with some of Trump’s comments about trade. However, Munzlinger says Donald Trump has the ability to negotiate better trade deals for the nation’s farmers and ranchers, adding that trade is vital to agriculture.

“With him being the wheeler/dealer that he is, maybe he can do a better job for all of agriculture. And an example there was the wine and grape industry that really got hurt with some of the trade deals that we’ve had in the past,” Munzlinger says.

Munzlinger complains about federal regulators, saying that the E.P.A., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Labor Department have too much power.

“The onus that they put on not just agriculture, but all industry, the impacts that those regulations have are astronomical as to what it takes to compete in today’s environment,” Munzlinger says.

Munzlinger chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee and represents 14 counties in northeast and north central Missouri.

Trump’s Committee includes the Agriculture Committee Chairs in several state Legislatures.