House Agriculture Committee hears bill to expand fund for large value‑added ag facilities; Agristo potato plant cited

The House Agriculture Committee heard testimony on House Bill 1332, which would add value‑added agriculture facility incentive funding to the Agriculture Diversification and Development Fund and authorize a $30,000,000 transfer from the Strategic Investment Improvements Fund to support eligible projects. Proponents said the bill is aimed at recruiting large processing facilities to North Dakota and would attach performance conditions to grant payments.

Under the bill as described to the committee, eligible projects must be located in North Dakota, be new construction on an industrial‑ready site with municipal infrastructure, carry a capital investment of at least $350,000,000, leverage regional producer capital investment, have a competing offer from at least one other Midwestern state, produce a new product or a variant that diversifies the market, and show an estimated economic contribution of at least $20,000,000 when fully operational based on an economic analysis by the Bank of North Dakota. The grant may be used for infrastructure including site acquisition, natural gas and electrical supply, roads, water and waste lines, storm water conveyance and rail lines. Testimony described the funding as a completion…