Nebraska bankers support growth of livestock, poultry industries
LINCOLN, NE — The growing ethanol industry brings plenty of benefits
to rural communities—good jobs, new tax revenues and opportunities for
main street businesses. According to Nebraska’s banking industry, the
same benefits come from growing the state’s livestock and poultry
industries.
However, said George Beattie, president of the
Nebraska Bankers Association, growing the livestock and poultry sectors
is more difficult because of the challenges many producers face when
they look to expand.
“Unfortunately, many livestock and
poultry producers face organized opposition when they look to grow
their operation,” Beattie said. “Some face zoning issues they never had
to deal with before, while all want the support of their neighbors.”
He
said livestock and poultry producers looking to expand want to do so
responsibly. “A producer who follows the rules and plans for growth in
a way considerate of the community and neighbors should be celebrated
the same way a new ethanol plant is,” Beattie said. “After all, that
livestock producer is generating jobs, tax revenues and new business
for that shop on main street.”
The livestock and poultry
industry is a $7.2 billion economic engine for the state. “It’s the
largest industry in Nebraska and the benefits to rural communities and
the state as a whole are multiplied many times over,” Beattie said.
The
Nebraska Bankers Association recognizes the benefits Nebraska’s animal
agriculture industry bring to the state and has supported A-FAN—the
Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska—as a way to help
producers responsibly expand their operations.
“Dealing with
zoning laws and procedures, permitting processes and the challenges of
organized opposition are outside the realm of expertise for many
producers,” he said. “A-FAN is there to walk producers through the
process.”
In the end, he said, A-FAN helps producers make better
decisions. “We support A-FAN because we want to see the state’s
livestock and poultry industries grow and be successful. The benefits
to everyone in Nebraska are tremendous,” he concluded.
A-FAN is a non-profit agriculture promotion, education and producer assistance organization.
The
Nebraska Bankers Association, based in Lincoln, Neb., is the voice for
the state’s banking industry. It acts as a resource for its members and
an advocate for Nebraska’s banking industry.
NOTE: To view George Beattie’s commentary about the state’s livestock industry and its importance to Nebraska, click here.
Media: For more information, contact George Beattie of the Nebraska Bankers Association at 402.474.1555 or Roger Berry of A-FAN at 402.710.1110 or 888.580.2326.