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Walz unveils 2022/23 Minnesota budget proposal
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz unveiled his budget proposal for 2022 and 2023 this week.
Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen tells Brownfield feedback from farmers and farm groups has been taken into account.
“What was needed in the state, what do we see coming? What could help us as we hopefully come out of COVID in 2021?”
Despite a projected $1.3 billion fiscal year deficit, he says Walz actually increased the Agriculture Department’s budget by three percent.
Minnesota Farmers Union president Gary Wertish calls it a strong proposal.
“There are a couple things that jump out (including) the $4 million for biofuels infrastructure throughout the state to help pave the way for getting E15 and higher blends. There’s $1 million put in there for meat processing, which this last year with COVID shutting down the large meatpacking plants and how that disrupted our whole supply system.”
Minnesota House Ag Committee chairman Mike Sundin tells Brownfield the budget proposal shows Governor Walz is committed to agriculture.
Some other highlights of the proposal according to MFU:
-$100,000 for farmer mental health programming
-$50,000 to improve Minnesota’s hemp licensing program
-$50 million for the Border-to-Border broadband grant program
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