Also invests in value-added agriculture opportunities for MN farmers, manufactured housing, & home ownership
The
Minnesota Senate passed bipartisan legislation to fund agriculture, rural
development, and affordable housing in Minnesota on Tuesday. The comprehensive
budget bill places an emphasis on rural broadband expansion, invests in
affordable manufactured housing and home ownership, prioritizes value-added
agriculture opportunities that directly impact farmers and increases resources
for farmer mental health services.
Following the passage of the bill, Senator Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids)
issued the following statement:
“This agriculture and rural development budget shows the Senate’s commitment to
Greater Minnesota helping it remain competitive in these modern times through
investments to drive economic development, support for affordable housing, and
critical investments in infrastructure that will help our outstate communities
thrive. “
Specifically, the bill makes a one-time investment in an innovative soybean processing and research facility near the University of Minnesota – Crookston, invests in the “Dairy Modernization and Innovation” program to help small dairy farms finance the modernization of their farm infrastructure, such as robotic milking equipment, funds the “Dairy Producer Margin Coverage Premium Assistance” program to help dairy farmers with profitability, and increases “dairy development grants” to aid farmers in creating new business plans.
Further, the bill funds the Minnesota Border-to-Border Rural Broadband expansion program at $30 million, a significant increase in the legislature’s appropriation over the last biennium.
Additionally, the budget legislation prioritizes the most affordable forms of housing in Minnesota and emphasizes workforce housing and home ownership.
As a whole, the bill funds the day-to-day operations of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, and the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program. In total, this bill allocates over $258 million in funding, an increase of nearly $4 million over the last two-year budget.