Policy focused on increasing the availability of rural veterinarians, the permitting of small-scale meat processing plants, property rights, animal disease traceability and other key issues was approved by members of the Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) during the group’s annual business meeting December 1 in Wichita.
With the demand for veterinary services being significantly greater than the number of rural veterinarians currently available, KLA members approved a new resolution supporting the continuation of and increased funding for the Veterinary Training Program for Rural Kansas. The resolution also supports the creation of new programs, or the expansion of those already in place, to incentivize students to attend Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine or other accredited colleges in this field outside the state, and emphasize working in a large animal practice in rural Kansas, or a clinic where the majority of the patients are large animals, upon graduation.
In an additional effort to address the lack of veterinary services in rural Kansas, members passed a new resolution calling for KLA to help establish a program that would enable technicians to work with licensed veterinarians to perform certain procedures. These procedures would include, but are not limited to, pregnancy palpation and ultrasound.
Members also approved a new resolution regarding the permitting of small-scale meat processing plants in Kansas. The policy supports Kansas Department of Health and Environment design standards for these plants that are flexible and allow alternative methods of waste handling that are more economically viable, while also continuing to meet statutory requirements and minimize the impact on the environment.
As agricultural land is a vital part of livestock production, a new resolution was passed opposing the purchase or acquisition of additional land by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The resolution further states that KLA believes the current budget authority for land acquisition should be repurposed to control invasive species and restore native grasslands.
Members voted in favor of an amendment to a resolution addressing property rights pertaining to commercial solar and wind energy developments. The policy supports legislation to protect the private property rights of landowners adjoining, but not participating in, wind farm or commercial solar developments. It also requires wind or commercial solar developments to have financially sufficient decommissioning plans that protect the property owner at the end of the infrastructure’s life. The resolution opposes renewable portfolio standards for wind or solar energy.
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