Senator Torrey Westrom is calling on the Minnesota House of Representatives to immediately pass emergency agriculture aid to address the ever-growing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) crisis which has already impacted over one million commercial birds across the state. Today, Senator Westrom successfully offered an amendment to HF 3217, authored by Sen. Andrew Mathews (R-Princeton), which would allocate an additional $1 million to the agricultural emergency account at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) to respond to avian influenza. The bill passed the Senate unanimously.  

“Last Thursday, the Senate unanimously passed a comprehensive agriculture relief bill that addresses the urgent needs of Minnesota farmers who are not only dealing with the lingering effects of drought, but an ever-expanding avian influenza crisis that is rapidly moving across our state,” said Senator Westrom, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. “The Senate had the foresight to include funding for avian influenza in this package. Now, the House has the opportunity to pass this desperately needed funding today, and I urge them to do so before the legislature begins its Easter recess. Our farmers cannot wait any longer.” 

Last week, the Minnesota Senate passed a targeted, urgent farmer relief package that addressed drought relief for livestock and specialty crop farmers along with funding to combat animal diseases on a unanimous, bipartisan 66-0 vote.   

“Minnesota farmers needed this relief yesterday, and we cannot afford to wait any longer,” concluded Sen. Westrom. “This meets the immediate need of our farmers, and if additional issues arise, we can continue to address them as the legislative session continues. But, we have an opportunity to help farmers across Minnesota today, and I hope the House will join us and not try to attach other controversial, non-agriculture related items to this legislation, as they’ve already done with their version of the drought relief bill.”   

Both the emergency farmer relief bill passed last week and HF 3217 are awaiting action by the Minnesota House of Representatives.