LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Roger Victory on Wednesday sponsored an agriculture price range supplemental that might direct $1.4 billion to enhance Michigan’s meals safety and put money into rural communities.
“The pandemic exposed serious flaws in our food supply chain. We must make targeted investments to reduce rising food costs and ensure Michigan families always have access to locally grown or produced food,” stated Victory, R-Hudsonville. “This supplemental budget bill prioritizes local growing, processing, and distribution for Michigan produce and food products to better secure our food supply by shortening the time and distance to store shelves.”
Senate Bill 885 would make investments $350 million in meals distribution safety and stability grants; $144 million for bovine TB mitigation at beef and dairy operations; $45 million to assist function and broaden farm markets; $75 million to help the soundness and growth of Michigan’s agriculture provide chain companies like protein processing crops; and $15 million to assist native meals banks buy contemporary produce, dairy merchandise, and meat and seafood merchandise.
Victory’s invoice additionally invests in rural improvement, together with:
• $350 million to help agriculturally helpful infrastructure tasks,
• $100 million to assist communities that didn’t obtain sufficient federal broadband funding to finish a full-scale set up,
• $50 million to help agricultural operations to fulfill Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) certifications, and
• $26 million to partially offset misplaced income from 2020 COVID-19 shutdowns for the U.P. State Fair and native fairgrounds throughout the state.
“Economic development in our rural communities has been neglected by the state for the last 30 years,” Victory stated. “We need to invest in rural economic development at the same levels we’ve invested in our urban-based manufacturing. This proposal would remove roadblocks that have historically limited the expansion of our rural industries.”
SB 885 would additionally put money into schooling, workforce and expertise improvement, together with $45.8 million to help a modernized MSU dairy facility, $150 million to help new housing items for agricultural employees, $10 million for agriculture technical coaching grants, and $5 million to ascertain and start operation of the Michigan Center for Agricultural Innovation as a public-private partnership between the agricultural business and the state.
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