http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/agsummitpr_1925.mp3
Earlier this month, the Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives Rod Jetton convened an agriculture summit. KSMU's Missy Shelton recently spoke with Jetton about the summit and the recommendations that came out of the meeting.
The Agriculture Summit brought together more than 70 people from around the state with an interest in improving farming in Missouri.
House Speaker Rod Jetton says he wanted to have a conversation about how the legislature can help agriculture.
Participants in the summit developed a list of 10 priorities.
Among the list was a recommendation to increase incentives for students who study large animal veterinarian medicine.
One of the most contentious agriculture issues in recent years has been the regulation of contained animal feeding operations, or CAFOs.
Lawmakers have grappled with how to let local governments have control over health issues related to CAFOs while not allowing local ordinances to be so restrictive that they drive CAFOs out of the state.
Jetton says summit participants came up with several ideas.
Jetton says it's important to the state's economy to invest in agriculture.
Jetton says he expects lawmakers to take the recommendations from the agriculture summit and use those to draft legislation in the coming months.