Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer on Tuesday signed into law a bill that sets guidelines for future poultry farms to be located in the state. Colyer signed the legislation less than one week after the legislation was approved 83-37 by Kansas’ House of Representatives. The bill passed the Kansas Senate by a vote of 29-10 on February 22.
Senate Bill 405 expands the number of chickens that growers can raise in poultry houses. Farmers that use dry manure processing systems can raise up to one third of a million birds at one location before they would be required to obtain a state environmental permit from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Such a permit would impose a number of requirements, including minimum set-back distances between poultry growout houses.
“This is welcome news and a positive development for the Kansas economy, for Kansans looking to get into the chicken business or diversify their farms, and for consumers both here and abroad to keep up with their increasing demand for chicken,” noted NCC spokesman Tom Super.
The bill was strongly supported by the Kansas Department of Agriculture and other agribusiness groups.
