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Proposed Michigan Ag Department budget relatively unchanged

Michigan Farm Bureau says Michigan agriculture actually fared quite well in Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s first proposed budget for the state.

Matt Smego tells Brownfield key priorities for funding the Michigan Department of Agriculture include $5 million for technology upgrades, $4 million to expand Double of Food Bucks and a three-percent increase for Michigan State University AgBioResearch and Extension.

“One of the things that we’re still asking for that the Governor did not include in the budget relates to support in the research area, particularly for our livestock sector.”

He says they’d like to see at least ongoing research with the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture remain funded. 

The Food and Agriculture Investment Program, which has been vital to expanding Michigan’s dairy processing and value-added sectors, would be cut by $2.6 million. “It doesn’t completely eliminate the fund, it does cut it in half”    

He says infrastructure improvements including transportation, broadband and natural gas expansion as well as labor will be important priorities for the organization in the year ahead.