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House subcommittee hears MDARD budget briefing; proposed farm start and food-safety investments highlighted
Summary
House Fiscal Agency analyst William Hamilton told the subcommittee the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development budget totals about $145.9 million with $77.5 million in general fund support; the executive proposal includes a $2 million Farm Start program, $1 million and five FTEs for food-safety enforcement, and a $2 million boost to horse-racing programs tied to internet gaming tax revenue.
William Hamilton, a House Fiscal Agency analyst, told the House Subcommittee on Rural Development and Natural Resources that the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has a gross appropriation of about $145.9 million for the current fiscal year and a general fund contribution of roughly $77.5 million. "The appropriation is a $145,900,000. It's a relatively small budget," Hamilton said, placing MDARD at under 1% of the state's total budget and state general fund.
Hamilton outlined four restructured bureaus in the department — Food Safety and Animal Health; Environment and Sustainability; Agriculture Development; and Laboratory and Consumer Protection — and reviewed program funding and statutory authorities. He said MDARD's food-safety programs (including a milk safety and quality assurance program) regulate thousands of processors and…
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