Missouri Farmers Win Big in 2025

By Blake Jackson

As the 2025 legislative session wraps up, the Missouri Soybean Association (MSA) is celebrating key achievements that support the future of farming in the state. These wins cover water conservation, farmer health care, lab upgrades, and tax relief — all aimed at strengthening agriculture for the next generation.

A highlight of the session was the Water Preservation Act, which establishes a permitting system to oversee bulk water exports. This helps protect Missouri’s valuable water resources from out-of-state use.

“While the legislative calendar runs January through May, our policy team works year-round to advocate for our farmers,” said Ben Travlos, Missouri Soybeans’ director of policy. “The saying goes, ‘All good things come to those who wait.’ While that may be true, luck favors the prepared.”

MSA also helped pass legislation giving the Missouri Farm Bureau the authority to offer health plans to farmers and self-employed workers. This opens access to affordable health care, which is often hard to find in rural communities.

Another major success was the elimination of the state capital gains tax, a move that supports farmers planning to pass their operations on to the next generation. This tax relief helps ease financial stress on farm families.

In partnership with the Missouri Pork Association, MSA supported SB 271, which exempts certain farm buildings from expensive fire protection requirements. Farmers will no longer be forced to install costly sprinkler systems in livestock buildings.

MSA also helped secure $4 million in funding for upgrading the Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Missouri. SCN is the most damaging soybean disease in the U.S., causing over $1.2 billion in annual losses. Testing demand has doubled since 2022, and the new lab will expand testing abilities.

Looking ahead, MSA continues to fight for access to crop protection tools, especially glyphosate. Legal cases are creating uncertainty, and MSA supports legislation confirming EPA-approved labels should be enough to protect manufacturers from lawsuits.

MSA thanks Missouri’s farmers and stakeholders for their continued support in building a strong future for agriculture.

Photo Credit: missouri-soybeans