HF 1448

as introduced - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; restoring base funding for 
  1.3             sustainable and organic foods programs; restoring 
  1.4             funding for the dairy diagnostics program; providing 
  1.5             funding for operation of a biological control 
  1.6             facility; appropriating money.  
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [APPROPRIATIONS; AGRICULTURE.] 
  1.9      $1,115,000 for the biennium ending June 30, 2003, is 
  1.10  appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of 
  1.11  agriculture for the following purposes: 
  1.12     (1) $370,000 is to restore base funding levels for organic 
  1.13  cost-share and information and demonstration grants, grants to 
  1.14  the Minnesota institute for sustainable agriculture at the 
  1.15  University of Minnesota, and sustainable agriculture 
  1.16  demonstration grants; 
  1.17     (2) $350,000 is to restore the dairy diagnostics program; 
  1.18     (3) $120,000 is to restore operations funding for the 
  1.19  biological control facility; 
  1.20     (4) $125,000 is for deposit in the dairy services account 
  1.21  for purposes of reducing the level of inspection fee increases 
  1.22  imposed on dairy producers; and 
  1.23     (5) $150,000 is for a grant to the center for farm 
  1.24  financial management at the University of Minnesota to continue 
  1.25  a comprehensive effort to develop software and training 
  1.26  materials to help farmers improve their profitability through 
  2.1   sophisticated business planning.  The software and training will 
  2.2   complement existing FINPACK farm management tools.  No later 
  2.3   than March 1, 2002, the center must report to the agriculture 
  2.4   policy and finance committees of the senate and the house of 
  2.5   representatives on the software development program.  This is a 
  2.6   one-time appropriation and is available until March 31, 2002.