University of Missouri get 7% state funding bump, money for meat processing plant
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
All of Missouri's colleges and universities will get a 7% bump in funding under the state's budget for the 2024 fiscal year, which began July 1, and money for a new meat processing plant at the University of Missouri.
More than $70 million is going toward increasing the budget for public universities and colleges. The University of Missouri is getting the biggest chunk of the increase at more than $31 million. The University of Missouri is also getting $25 million to build a new meat processing plant.
Christopher Daubert -- dean of the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources -- said the meat-processing program is part of the university's land grant.
“This investment is a great example of MU’s dedication to the land-grant mission," Daubert said. "In partnership with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, this new laboratory will enable CAFNR to showcase the latest meat processing research and technologies for expanding Missouri’s agri-businesses."
The new meat-processing plant will replace the current one in the East Campus area. A new location for the project has not yet been chosen, but Director of Animal Sciences Bryon Wiegand expects the project to break ground within a year.
"This project has been a long time in the making, we actually started a conversation probably as early as 2011," Wiegand said. "In 2014, we secured some grant funding to actually plan a facility so that'll be kind of where the starting point for us will be."
Gov. Mike Parson boasts his investment in higher education, saying the state has secured more than $730 million for capital improvement projects in higher education in the last two years.
“From day one, we have set out to ensure our higher education and workforce development goals complement each other," Parson said. "Right now, some of the highest need professions in our state include nursing, teachers, child care providers, IT, and other technical careers."
The University of Missouri falls within the representation of state Sen. Caleb Rowden, who adamantly supports the school.
"It's always rewarding to be able to provide new resources and maintain increases in our core funding for Mizzou and the four UM System campuses," Rowden said. "Mizzou is leading the way in educating the next generation and providing innovative research for the private sector. I hope we can keep our momentum going next year."
