Groundbreaking held Friday for meat sciences building named after former Missouri governor

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - State and university leaders gathered in Columbia for a ceremonial groundbreaking on the Michael L. Parson Meat Education and Training Laboratory.

Named after former Governor Mike Parson, the new meat sciences lab will be operational for Mizzou students next year. This project was made possible when Parson promised $35 million in Missouri taxpayer funds for the meat sciences lab.

“If we want the future of agriculture, many students here today, to continue to get into this business, understand what the needs are and the opportunities to make money,” said Gov. Mike Kehoe.

The university is facing a smaller budget as the federal government pulls funds. Mizzou could lose tens of millions in National Institute of Health grants, according to the latest Board of Curators meeting agenda, as the Trump istration continues to slash costs across the federal government. This week, the UM Board of Curators discussed ways to save money, such as limiting hiring.

That’s why state funding is so important for the land grant institution to continue to meet its research goals. CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert said the university is hopeful the current state istration will continue ing its research.

“This new facility will promote innovation in meat processing through research, provide training to our workforce on the latest technology and best practices, and inform communities across the state on food sourcing and sustainability,” Daubert said. “Agriculture is a critical industry in our state, and fostering growth in food manufacturing entrepreneurship is a responsibility we take seriously at MU.”

This as state lawmakers are working on a new budget. Thursday, the Missouri House approved a funding bill that would allocate even more taxpayer money to one-time research projects for the University of Missouri and other higher education institutions in the state.

The $47.9 billion spending plan is currently in the hands of the Missouri Senate. It is tighter than previous years. Because of tax cuts several years ago and depleting one-time pandemic funds from the federal government, lawmakers are working with a smaller pool of general revenue.

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