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Ag Finance and Ag Policy bills advance in Minnesota Legislature
The ag finance and ag policy bills are advancing in the Minnesota Legislature.
House Ag and Food, Finance and Policy division chair Jeanne Poppe is presenting the legislation to the Ways and Means Committee.
She tells Brownfield the ag policy bill includes provisions for industrial hemp.
“The bill did have to go to other committees, or at least portions of the bill went to other committees, in order to address that because hemp licensing and rule making is in government operations. So the bill had to go there.”
Support for emerging farmers, a boost to the micro-loan account, and updated language for the Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council to realign closer to its statute are also part of the ag policy bill.
Representative Poppe says there are adjustments to the ag finance bill to reflect that most of the money will come from the CARES Act.
“And the two items that won’t be are the Vet Diagnostic Lab and farm safety grants and outreach. Those will be covered realigning AGREET money, the ag research money that we send to the University of Minnesota.”
The Austin Democrat says $100,000 AGREET dollars would go towards the Vet Diagnostic Lab if Governor Walz signs the legislation into law.
