CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Beef is big business for West Virginia agriculture and more is needed across the state, according to West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Walt Helmick.
“We’re trying to build it all back up,” Helmick said during a Wednesday event in Charleston hosted by the state Department of Agriculture.
A “Beef for Father’s Day” cookout was held at Capitol Market where fresh steak kabobs were served for visitors passing by. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin joined Helmick to sample the beef later in the afternoon.
Helmick said they’re trying to enhance the beef industry because of its significance in the state.
“It generates a lot of income, a lot of jobs and we think that we have an opportunity to promote it and take it to another level,” he said.
According to a news release, West Virginia farmers typically raise about 138 million pounds of beef each year, which adds up to a more than $200 million industry. Helmick said the meat raised in West Virginia should stay in-state for processing so that number can rise.
Currently, much of the state’s cattle is sold at livestock auctions and slaughtered in the Midwest.
The department has plans to use beef to leverage other aspects of agriculture even during a time when the state is faced with a massive budget crisis where several cuts could be made in order to fill a budget hole of $272 million.
Helmick said they’re prepared to make any necessary adjustments if the department is affected by what’s going on in the state Legislature this Special Session.
“We have a basic plan for survival that we put in place. Over the last two or three weeks we’ve worked diligently with the assumption that this happens, well then the other thing happens, then we move in this direction,” he said.
The department will be keeping their eye on several proposals, but Helmick said they can’t make any predictions.
“You have to wait and see what the end result is going to be,” he said. “Those proposals that we see out there — not good for agriculture, but it’s a difficult time. It’s a real difficult time in West Virginia.”