HF 1091

as introduced - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; providing partial funding for 
  1.3             Minnesota Marketplace; appropriating money. 
  1.4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.5      Section 1.  [FINDINGS.] 
  1.6      The legislature finds that the agricultural economy of west 
  1.7   central and northwestern Minnesota is severely stressed by many 
  1.8   factors including low livestock and commodity prices, plant 
  1.9   diseases, and several years of wet weather and flooding.  The 
  1.10  legislature finds further that opportunities exist to greatly 
  1.11  improve the profitability of agriculture by facilitating better 
  1.12  information transfer between farmer-producers and end use 
  1.13  purchasers.  Under these circumstances the legislature finds 
  1.14  that it is a valid public purpose to make grants to a 
  1.15  cooperative organization known as Minnesota Marketplace to 
  1.16  create an alliance of growers who will identify and deliver 
  1.17  agricultural products that have enhanced value in the 
  1.18  marketplace. 
  1.19     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION; MINNESOTA MARKETPLACE.] 
  1.20     $475,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2000 and $475,000 
  1.21  is appropriated in fiscal year 2001 from the general fund to the 
  1.22  rural finance authority in the department of agriculture for a 
  1.23  grant to a cooperative organization known as Minnesota 
  1.24  Marketplace for activities related to establishing links between 
  2.1   farmers and agricultural marketing opportunities.  This 
  2.2   appropriation must be matched by $1 of nonstate money or in-kind 
  2.3   match for each $2 of appropriated state dollars.  Not more than 
  2.4   half of the nonstate match may be in the form of in-kind 
  2.5   contributions.  During the biennium ending June 30, 2001, 
  2.6   Minnesota Marketplace must focus its market development efforts 
  2.7   primarily on the west central and northwest portions of the 
  2.8   state.