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Agriculture & Energy Statement
(EMPORIA, KS) Tuesday, April 23, 2019 --- Brandon Boyce is calling on Jack Griswold to reach out to agriculture and energy experts for consultation in regard to current policy positions.
“Kansas could be a regional leader in agriculture and energy production, but thanks to leaders in Topeka being ignorant either because they are paid to be or because they personally choose to be, Kansas agriculture output stagnates while our energy production lags behind.” -Griswold Campaign Website
Griswold and his campaign clearly have no understanding of the economic output of agriculture of Kansas. The economic value of Kansas agriculture is invaluable.
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The Agriculture, food, and food processing supports 248,216 jobs, or 12.9% of the entire workforce in the state.
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These industries provide a total economic contribution of approximately $ 65.7 billion, roughly 40.4% of the total economy.
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Kansas is ranked 2nd by the USDA in value of cattle and calves.
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Beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots and dual-purpose ranching and farming is the top employer in the agriculture industry with 42,501 employees.
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The Beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots and dual-purpose ranching and farming industry directly contributes approximately $ 7.9 billion to the Kansas economy.
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Kansas is the largest Grain Sorghum producing state in the US. The export of Grain Sorghum in Kansas accounts for one-third of the US Grain Sorghum market.
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Kansas ranks 5th in overall area planted to corn for all purposes.
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Our energy production lags behind? Ethanol is a biofuel produced from corn. Due to the amount of Corn in Kansas, Kansas produces 500 million gallons of Ethanol per year which is ranked in the top-10. Kansas is ranked 5th in Wind Energy Production while only having 35 wind projects online. Wind accounts for 36.4% of all in-state electricity production and powers 1,719,000 homes.
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Brandon Boyce understands that the agriculture and energy are a major contributor to the Kansas Economy. The first order of business is that as Governor, Brandon will strongly pressure Congress into ratifying President Trump’s United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) immediately. According to the International Trade Commission, The USMCA would add $68.2 billion to the U.S. economy and create 176,000 new jobs. Kansas would benefit from a $4.4 Billion increase in exports to Canada and Mexico. With the rise of the Dairy Industry in Kansas, Kansas will benefit from the milk provisions by creation of new markets in Canada.
As Brandon has said throughout his time in office, Brandon believes in climate change. Brandon also understands that strict environmental restrictions and guidelines are not the answer. Kansas farmers were suffering from the regulations in the Clean Water Rule and many farms declared bankruptcy or sold off properties to make ends meet. Brandon supports the Trump Administration for suspending the rule while the Environmental Protection Agency reviews the policy.
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Brandon will extend the state tax credits out to the end of his term as Governor so that Kansans will have an incentive to purchase solar panels or wind mills for energy production. Brandon will also urge the Department of Energy to extend the federal tax credits so that Kansans will be incentivized in green energy implementation. Kansas in continuing to switch from carbon-based to green energy sources for production and that will continue under Brandon.
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The proposed New Green Deal would be a disaster and would cripple the Kansas economy. In regard to Agriculture, The New Green Deal would eliminate farting cows due to their contribution to climate change, in which Cattle is invaluable for our food production and economy. Kansas would suffer.
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It’s alarming that the Griswold campaign is calling to end corporate subsidies to energy companies wanting to conduct business in Kansas. In order for companies such as Tesla, ExxonMobil, Philips 66, ConocoPhillips, General Electric and others to invest in Kansas, the state must provide economic opportunities such as tax credits and subsidies to these companies so that they can not only invest in Kansas by providing new green-energy technology, but the added revenue will fund the public programs that Kansas desperately needs such as KanCare, Education, and Infrastructure.
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It’s a clear choice for the Free State Party. Brandon’s agricultural and energy policy will lead the way for Kansas to become a more prosperous state. Supporting family farms and leading the push for Kansas to become a green-energy state is a priority that Brandon takes to heart. With the Legislature and Congress legalizing Industrial Hemp, Kansas will become a leader in the cultivation of hemp, which means more economic revenue for Kansas.
Sources: Kansas Department of Agriculture, United States Energy Information Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the United States Trade Representative, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Kansas Farm Bureau, Green New Deal FAQ: National Public Radio.