Mississippi Secretary of Agriculture Andy Gipson spoke to the Stennis Capitol Press Forum in downtown Jackson at the Capital Club, updating the press and interested attendees on a variety of subject regarding the Department of Agriculture.
Gipson told the group there was a record attendance at the Dixie National Rodeo in 2023, rebounding from a drop during the Covid years.
Gipson said, depending on how you look at the numbers, nearly 20 to 30 percent of Mississippians are employed in agriculture related industries.
Gipson said inflation has disproportionately hurt farmers “like we’ve never seen.” He said farmers are feeling inflationary pressures “more than anybody else.”
He noted that the American cattle herd today is lower than in 1982, a victim to drought “and skyrocketing input and fuel costs. “Fertilizer doubled in price last year and it hasn’t gone down much, if at all, this year.”
Gipson blamed Covid for a lot of the current inflationary problems, but said state regulatory overreach was a big factor as well. “In some states even today, you have plants that used to be at full capacity but they’re not anymore.” Workforce shortages are also to blame.
Listen to the video for the full talk which hits on a variety of important subjects.
Source : Enterprise Journal