DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE View all News and Press

3/11/2015

Wolf Budget for Agriculture Focuses on Jobs That Pay, Schools That Teach and Government That Works

 

 

Harrisburg, PA - Yesterday, Acting Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding addressed the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, explaining how Governor Tom Wolf’s proposed budget would benefit agriculture and consumers and further the governor’s mission of jobs that pay, schools that teach and government that works. Governor Wolf’s budget invests in resources to promote agricultural job training as well as resources to address consumer safety, industry protection and product promotion.

“My time at DelVal reinforced my belief that agriculture is a tremendous resource for Pennsylvania,” said Redding, while reflecting on his past four years as Dean of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at Delaware Valley College. “Governor Wolf shares that philosophy, not only in the sense that the industry provides food that sustains us all, but also that it offers extraordinary economic opportunities. We must cultivate this resource and Governor Wolf’s budget proposal does just that.”

Redding noted that the future of agriculture is not just dependent on the department’s allotted budget. The proposed state budget includes investments in education, training and development that will provide the human capital needed for the agriculture industry.

“Agriculture is a business – one that needs access to both human and financial capital,” Redding added. “To succeed, farmers need a skilled workforce and they need competitive financing that can leverage additional private capital. As a businessman, Governor Wolf understands that.”

Agriculture needs trained, skilled workers to propel the industry forward. The budget emphasizes educational institutions as pathways to economic development, where students are prepared to compete in the global economy. Proposed funding for the departments of Community and Economic Development, Labor and Industry, and Education provide those pathways for students to get them from the classroom to the agriculture workforce.

“The governor’s proposed budget would invest an additional $16 million into the department’s programs and initiatives, but we can’t view our budget strictly through the lens of agriculture,” Redding reiterated. “Governor Wolf has laid a clear picture of how each piece of the puzzle is interconnected. We have to look at the full picture, from various vantage points.

“That’s why it’s imperative that our department collaborates with our sister agencies to further our reach in local communities,” he continued. “The infusion of dollars proposed in this budget will provide direct benefits to consumers, which in turn will provide direct benefits to employers and consequently the economy throughout Pennsylvania.”

The department’s budget highlights include:

 

State Food Purchase Program

According to the Food Research and Action Center, more than two million Pennsylvanians do not have enough money to buy sufficient food for themselves or their families. Over the past several years, the number of Pennsylvanians at risk for hunger has grown significantly, and food banks and pantries are reporting increased demand for emergency food assistance. The department is helping at-risk families put food on the table through our State Food Purchase Program, the first state-funded food assistance program. The governor’s plan would provide an additional $3 million for the program to feed those at risk to go hungry due to lack of available funding and access to resources.

 

PA Preferred™

Of consumers surveyed, nearly 90 percent of Pennsylvanians want to buy local foods. Since the PA Preferred™ program was established, the department has been educating consumers about the benefits of buying products made and grown here in Pennsylvania. The governor’s budget includes sustained funding of $550,000 to allow for continued promotion, member outreach and engagement of producers and agribusinesses working alongside the program.

 

Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory

Pennsylvania is home to world-class horse racing. Thoroughbred racetracks offered $110 million in purses to top racers in 2013 and harness racing put $108 million on the table, with its three tracks ranked in the top six in North American in gross payout. Last year, bettors wagered more than $800 million on Pennsylvania racing. The department remains committed to ensuring the integrity of the sport, both for the bettors and for those behind the track.

The state’s Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory, in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania veterinary school, develop testing protocols like the groundbreaking method for confirming blood-doping agents in racehorse serum. The governor’s proposal includes $2 million in funding for needed equipment and technology enhancements, safeguarding the legitimacy of the state’s horse and harness racing industries.

 

Other Strategic Initiatives

The governor’s budget also includes money saving investments such Green Agriculture. This initiative will allow more farmers to take advantage of clean and renewable energy technologies and help achieve the state’s energy goals. Under this umbrella, $20 million would be available through competitive grants for projects designed to help Pennsylvania farms implement energy efficiency and technology upgrades, bio-digesters and distributed wind generation on farms – all of which can help farmers reduce energy costs by becoming more self-reliant. The proposal also includes the enactment of tax relief by cutting school property taxes by $3.8 billion. This amounts to more than 50 percent average reduction in homeowner and farmstead property taxes.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture encourages, protects and promotes agriculture and related industries throughout the commonwealth while providing consumer protection through inspection services which impact the health and financial security of Pennsylvania’s citizens.

For more information about the department’s programs and initiatives, visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us.

For more information about Governor Wolf’s proposed 2015-16 fiscal budget, visit http://bit.ly/1fLtt8m.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Brandi Hunter-Davenport - 717.787.5085