Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development- House and Senate

Call this meeting of the to Senate and house the Committee on alcal force economic development order. The. Repeatedly issuing comments. Okay thank you very much Sir appreciate everybody being here of six reward. Mmhm. You would please introduce yourself for the record and you are recognized thank you Sir well west for from the Arkansas department of agriculture in the I believe that you've you've all got a copy of this as well but it's the reports that we file from the Department culture pursuant to act in seventy six of the twenty twenty one session I just rules that affect the the lost art culture industry within the state of Arkansas and so we've got a we got about a four page report happy to dig deeper into any of these if you would like I will just kind of no one there was number eight on page three it is the role is the role required by state or federal law and we we've got a a no response to that I just wanted to highlight that one just because it to is different than the other ones but that that is something that we've I also went to the the governor Hutchinson governments mass to take a look at any proposed legislation for the session identified that and entertainment was something that we wanted to work on us we have have not had that discussion with the governor elect yet but that is it is something we've identified a need to be kind of clarified in the and statutory language but but but other than that Sir we're happy to have to answer any questions on on any of these rules anyone would like to but certainly within the Department of course we've got our livestock and poultry commission of the milk stabilisation Board venture medical examining board and that's where these rules fall through those boards and commissions. Okay. Questions from the members. None. Hello the second motion to adopt this report. move second. All in favor say aye. Thank you thank you very much sixty four thank you the issue. Senator Flippo Jorgensen thank you Mr chairman showed a request that we all get Mr Gilmour appears well I'd like to hear some of his perspective on these discussions. It on back row good beverage back here come on and join the fun thank you Mr chairman. Michu few would introduce yourself for the record you're recognized thank you Mr chair members of the committee on Larson I'm general counsel for the department of health. If you would you put your but thank you good morning Matt Gilmore department health. You're recognized thank you we are here to present our report as filed on that August thirty first of twenty twenty two there are two rules that we I do not wish to be repealed at this time that deal with milk and and the production of milk products the rules pertaining to present deserts and the regulations pertaining to the grade a milk and milk products rules or the two rules that we have submitted to you and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. Okay members do we have questions. Rivlin Fortner. Thank you Mr chairman of I just have a question is not about the frozen it's about the whole process how do How do we go about establishing a fair price for the Derry man so that they can make a profit and how how often is that price reviewed. The representative of the department of health doesn't handle that that may be more appropriate at questions for the Department back. Okay could could I have them up eventually we will when we finish this report will have them back thank you thank you. Senator Flippo. All thank you Mr chairman of the school more There's a conversation about you know pastor eyes and unpasteurized milk. And then specifically so the dairy you know it goes into our you know sort of frozen foods like ice cream and I just want to know like how you felt about that and what your you know points of you might be. So we start with the unpasteurized milk Mr Gilmour. Senator Flippo thank you for the question yeah I think the rules we have in place are appropriate and helped I don't think they're too onerous I think they're of I think there what we need what do you think I don't know what we need and appropriate I mean could you there are so so I'm not a scientist as you all know but I think that it's important but shall knowledge on that area you know industry obviously I will expertise in that area don't have a little bit of would be appropriate for me to comment too much on this but I do think that there are serious issues concerning to worry about sometimes with raw milk and what can be in that if it's not handled appropriately the support food freedom. In the appropriate context I do yes Sir. Thank you Mr chairman of the. Any other questions. Sure you. Mr Gilmour. What will expertise here and seating have that will go would you would you kind of explain the frozen dessert bill to SM. Senator hill I think that would be best handled by someone that has more expertise in that line of food and that makes a they do taste good those are. The one one eighth with the one with that his expertise he has this job. It. The it's the. It's a fun time is in the year they they won't come in and pick on you little bit so the issue thank you for your report I need a motion to adopt this report motion and second second all in favor say aye. Reporter fascist thank you very much secretary ward would you come back to the table please. We will enjoy ourselves and have our last today bill on January the ninth the work really starts with you know more you can come back then and it would. Okay. Representative for if you point your button. You. You are recognized to ask your question again thank you Mr chairman director ward you heard the question but I don't know if I raised it clearly I just would I'm interested in how. We protect our dairyman that they get a fair price that they can make a profit stay in business and then how often do we check those prices to make sure their current. Yes Sir that's a that's a that's a very good question and as a I suspect that you're probably aware where agriculture being or or large industry in the state of Arkansas with the dairy industry and specifically has been and has been in decline for quite some time now and so were I think we're less than thirty Class say there is left in the state when used to have over a thousand I mean it's it's certainly in an industry that's declined significantly over the last several years for sure so that that ties back to the twenty twenty one session and there was an effort by several members of the legislature to to pass a law and and then we followed up it's actually number number twelve on a report number on page four the last the last rule there through the milk stabilization board that would require that the that the dairy producers receive class class one prices for milk I will say there is one of their is aspects of of agriculture specifically agriculture policy that is very challenging and there's also a lot of contention and confusion on on how how to answer your questions of of how to make sure their producers are adequately compensated in so that that was different through the through the legislature in the twenty one session we passed rule following that but it was contentious and and it's actually been been challenged in court they didn't ask for a stay what is currently in litigation so I can't say too much on that piece in particular but but that is probably that's to answer your question is what we're trying to do what the legislature trying to do through the law that was passed in twenty one session of of of making sure that producers were we're getting that a class one price. And the follow up you're a if I may of the net if you can't tell me don't but is it producers from out of the state that have a problem with us doing this. I think it's I don't know that they're or producers outside of the of the state that are upset in particular so they're they're different compact that you Arkansas is in a particular compact with the with other regional states I don't I think they're producers in general all want to get a higher price I think Arkansas's is just in the same but with everyone else it's it's more the contention I think comes from from the coop side this one had to be careful on how how respond to this but but I think there's I think there when you when you take into the actual processing and marketing of of milk products you there's a cost associated with that and so that's where some of the contention comes out as as a cooperative cooperative if people or you commingling their milk in order to try to get a higher price risk costs associated with transporting and processing and marketing that that that has to come from somewhere so there's there's a little bit of contention there on how to best do that from that standpoint would you help me out how often are those numbers checked annually or monthly. Yeah so we we get a weekly a monthly report on that so it's it's looked at very very frequently okay thank you. Thank you Mr chairman yes Sir any other questions. Seeing none we are adjourned.