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Committee hears support for $3 million bill to study and market Oregon food and beverage industry
Summary
Witnesses and industry representatives backed House Bill 2689 to fund a domestic marketing program and a study on food and beverage processing; the Oregon Department of Agriculture testified it can run both functions, and testimony stressed co‑packing, workforce and scaling barriers.
State Representative Lucetta Elmer opened the public hearing on House Bill 2689, which would direct the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) to establish a domestic trade program to promote Oregon‑made food and beverage products, fund a study of processing competitiveness, and appropriate $3,000,000 from the General Fund for the marketing program and $750,000 for the study. The bill declares an emergency and requires a report with recommendations no later than Sept. 15, 2026.
Representative Lucetta Elmer, State Representative for House District 24, told the committee the Food and Beverage Council and Food Northwest developed the measure’s recommendations. "My hope is that by passing this legislation, we can identify opportunities and barriers to local businesses as well as open up…
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