Senate committee advances agriculture omnibus with cuts to urban ag, new avian influenza and farm-safety funding

Senate File 2458, the agriculture omnibus bill, was advanced by the Senate Commerce Committee on April 10 after debate and several amendments. The bill meets a committee-imposed negative budget target while reallocating money within the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) budget to prioritize emergency response, farm safety and meat inspection.

At a committee hearing, Senator Andrew Putnam, sponsor of the bill, told members the panel had worked under a negative budget target and had “created a balanced, appropriate, and, responsive, agricultural budget.” He said the bill reduces some programs and redirects resources, noting that “30% of this budget goes directly to, ag emergency responses” including grants for poultry producers to support avian influenza prevention measures. Putnam also noted cuts to the urban agriculture account and adjustments to biofuels programs.

The committee heard a line-by-line fiscal walkthrough from Senate fiscal staff. Eric Olofsson, Senate fiscal analyst, described change items in a three-page spreadsheet labeled “Agriculture, Broadband and Rural Development 2025 — Chair’s Recommendations as referred to Finance, SF 02/1958, First Engrossment.” Olofsson said the bill meets the…