Political leaders strategized about the future of ag in Kansas at the Summit on Agricultural Growth held in Manhattan Thursday.
As The Topeka Capital-Journal reports, U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall of the rural 1st district in Congress, said the government was prepared to endorse the conversion of sorghum oil into bio-diesel. Sorghum is mainly used as livestock feed so the addition would bolster the market value of the grain.
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the U.S. House and Senate had to move the Trump Administration away from recommendations that weaken crop insurance while continuing to encourage action to reduce costly regulations.
The slumping farm economy also provided incentive to look beyond the obvious during dozens of discussion groups devoted to the future role of specialty crops, unmanned aerial drones, food processing, oil seeds and entrepreneurship, as well as the staples of beef, pork, dairy, wheat, corn and sorghum.