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DNR agriculture division reports loan activity, feed‑grain reserve and seed facility upgrades
Summary
DNR's Division of Agriculture told the committee it manages the Agriculture Revolving Loan Fund, continues phytosanitary inspections and seed cleaning, is standing up a feed‑grain reserve with partners, and administers several federal and state grant programs to boost food security.
The Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Agriculture reported to the House Finance Committee that it is managing more than $2.215 million in equity in its revolving loan fund, administering more than $10 million in federal grants, and is undertaking capacity upgrades to seed‑cleaning and other plant‑materials facilities to support Alaska food security.
Deputy Commissioner Brent Goodrum said the Agriculture Revolving Loan Fund (ARLIF) manages over 60 loans and approved 23 new loans in FY24 totaling about $6.1 million, including short‑term startup, chattel, processing and farm development loans. He told the committee the division is seeing rising demand and that the ARLIF board has expressed concern about available funds to meet industry requests.
The nut graf: DNR highlighted steps to increase domestic agricultural capacity: a feed grain reserve launched in late 2023 in partnership with Delta Farmers Cooperative, seed‑cleaning throughput that rose year over year, and a seed facility upgrade timed to assist next fall’s harvest.
Goodrum said the plant materials center cleaned roughly 50,000 pounds of native seed and more than 96,000 pounds of cereal grain for commercial growers — double and triple prior year amounts respectively — and maintains disease‑free seed potatoes and foundational seed varieties for producers. The division administers $2.2 million in regional food‑systems infrastructure grants and runs inspection programs that certify more than $100 million in agricultural products for domestic and export markets.
Members asked for lists of grant recipients and individual ARLIF borrowers; the division committed to provide those details to legislators. Lawmakers also asked about phytosanitary inspection capacity; DNR said it has trained additional inspectors to meet exporter needs.
