April 28, 2009

Department of Agriculture Announces Administrative Hearing in Gallatin

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) today announced that an administrative hearing has been set for Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Gallatin High School gymnasium. Grain auditors with MDA have finalized the review period of all claims submitted by farmers during February and March. The Department of Agriculture received 109 claims from farmers affected.

“Farmers in the Gallatin area have been impacted and we have worked diligently to fully document all claims and to hear their concerns,” said Dr. Jon Hagler, director of MDA. “We will continue to do everything we can as a department to assist those that have been affected.”

The administrative hearing is open to the public and is designed to share the terms proposed by the Department of Agriculture giving all parties involved the opportunity to respond. An administrative hearing officer will determine if the proposed settlement is equitable given the assets and claims.

In February, Danny Froman voluntarily surrendered his Missouri Grain Warehouse and Grain Dealer licenses to the Department of Agriculture following an inspection of his Gallatin Grain Company.

For more information on grain insolvencies, visit www.mda.mo.gov.