Missouri’s dairy farmers could get a tax break under legislation approved Thursday in the House, but some lawmakers want to know why other agricultural producers aren’t getting similar help.
The bill would allow each dairy cow farmer to claim an annual state tax credit of up to $25,000 depending on production and the price of milk.
House members passed the measure on a 110-41 vote. The bill now goes to the Senate, which briefly debated its own version without reaching a vote last Thursday. Other tax credits have run into resistance this year from some senators.
Proponents of the House measure said Missouri’s dairy industry is in peril because milk prices are low and the costs of fuel, feed and utilities are high. They said the industry’s collapse could threaten jobs and the infrastructure necessary to process milk, butter, cheese and other dairy products.
Rep. Dan Brown, R-Rolla, called the tax credit a “lifeline” that could help dairy farmers survive until economic conditions improve. Texas County is one of the top milk producers in the county.
But some of the House’s agricultural leaders strongly criticized the measure, saying it favored dairy farmers to the detriment of beef, pork and poultry producers.