From Dave's Desk
Biden announced a billion-dollar incentive through the Meat and Poultry Expansion Program for small and regional processors. Dave Maples Executive Vice President If you think this is easy money and that the grant process is easy, you better think again Kentucky cattlemen and business owners can The General Assembly recently passed because it is not. Most of these companies get the job done. Another comment would be language in House Bill 8 that will exempt have had to hire consultants and grant writers to never give up. It is all about timing. KCA drugs and over-the-counter drugs purchased for a very difficult process that they have a has worked on this issue for well over 10 by a person regularly engaged in the business high probability of not receiving any funding. years. I never really understood why this was of farming from sales and use tax. Governor I want to commend these companies for such a hard ask. Kentucky was one of only Beshear vetoed the entire bill but the General making the effort and not sitting back and four states that charged sales taxes on animal Assembly overrode the veto. The exemption waiting. health products. All of the surrounding will not take effect until January 1, 2023. I can see the results of the investments that states were exempt from sale taxes, so many The passage of the bill was somewhat Kentucky producers purchased their vaccines the Governor's office and the Kentucky anticlimactic because it was an item in the Office of Ag Policy has made in local meat in either Indiana, Ohio or Tennessee for the conference committee. KCA has worked processing. Over the last month most of the most part. I had a larger farmer who lived on this issue for many years. Over the years calls that I have received have been about close to the Tennessee state line tell me one we might get in through the House and meat processing or from meat processors. To time that I didn’t need to be spending my Senate but it would die before it got to the time on this issue because he didn’t pay those be really honest if you would have asked me Governor. One session we got it through 2 years ago if we would have a processor in taxes anyway (because he bought them in both Chambers and then Governor Matt the state processing over 175 head of cattle Tennessee). Bevins vetoed it. We were well on our way a day, I would have had doubts. Not only do I hope this will entice some of the animal again in 2020, then the pandemic hit and we we have that processor, we have another that heath distributors to locate in Kentucky. I lost momentum. However, Senator Givens is doing over 75 head per day. I see several also hope that you will appreciate the work did not forget and with his no drama way of others in expansion mode and if we are lucky and effort that KCA put into this effort. doing business he got the job done. Thank enough to receive some of these federal funds you, Senator Givens. On another note, I have spent a good bit you might see a real explosion in regional and of time writing recommendation letters This is one example of how working with local processing. for Kentucky meat processors. President your trade association and several individual
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