LINCOLN – Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director (NDA) Greg Ibach shared his support of the proposed Costco processing facility as an opportunity to grow Nebraska jobs by growing Nebraska livestock production.
“The Costco facility will grow jobs beyond the farm gate,” said Ibach. “Job opportunities for electricians, carpenters, insurance professionals, production consultants and truckers are just a sample of the career opportunities that will come to communities where value added livestock facilities are located.”
The project also creates a new market for local corn and soybean farmers. This change in the grain demand model will increase the price of locally grown crops resulting in an increase in net farm income for the region. “Typically for a farm to expand it means another farm has shrunk or gone out of business,” said Ibach. “The Costco facility will allow 75-100 farms in east central Nebraska to grow without negatively impacting other farms.”
Costco has stated that their business model is structured as a partnership of local farmers and businesses working towards common goals. Costco has expressed that in order for them to have long-term success their local partners must also be successful. The resulting benefits will have long term positive impact for local farmers, the region and the state.
