Today the Minnesota Senate passed an Agriculture Budget bill to support Minnesota agriculture and rural development. The comprehensive legislation is focused on helping Minnesota farmers while spurring innovation in the agriculture industry.

“We’re committed to supporting farmers in the field by making the critical investments that now only encourage recovery but will foster innovation and economic development as we move forward,” Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R- East Gull Lake) said.“This past year has placed an enormous burden on our agriculture and rural communities, who faced significant challenges during COVID.  The bill today moves Minnesota forward with innovation and investment into agriculture.” 

The budget will help promote Minnesota’s own homegrown fuels, like E-15, by providing grant money to improve Minnesota’s biofuel infrastructure, allowing more gas stations to install the equipment to dispense biofuels. The legislation also responds to fix vulnerabilities in our Ag sector supply chains that were exposed during the pandemic. The bill makes critical investments in meat processors which will help provide more jobs, improve our processing efficiency, and provide more purchasing options for consumers.

The bill allows for increased outreach to emerging farmers and provides translation services to cottage food producers. Additionally, the comprehensive budget agreement provides farm safety grants and mental health funding, provides investments to continue battling noxious weeds, gives additional resources to boost international trade, and allows for greater funding of farm-to-school programming.

The Senate held firm against proposals by the House and Governor to burden Minnesota farmers. The bill does not increase fees on pesticides as proposed by the House and Governor Walz, while still making additional investments for Minnesota Department of Agriculture laboratory equipment. There are no new restrictions on treated seeds, something pushed by the House even though it would have had a major negative impact on Minnesota’s agricultural sector.