Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed 2014 budget faced favorable reception from two key state groups – the Agricultural Leaders of Michigan (ALM) and the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB). They praised him for drafting a budget that supports Michigan’s agriculture industry and rural development.

The budget proposes more than a 4 percent funding boost to the state agriculture department, including $3 million for an initiative aimed at bolstering the food and farm sector’s contributions to Michigan’s economy.

The 2014 budget would:

• Increase funding for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) by 4.2 percent to $76.9 million – still less than one percent of the entire state budget. That allocation would enable MDARD to continue its routine responsibilities overseeing food safety, animal and plant health, environmental stewardship, consumer protection and rural development.
• Help MDARD meet the goals set by the governor at his 2011 Summit on Production Agriculture: growing the sector’s annual economic impact past $100 billion, doubling exports, increasing food and ag jobs, improving access to healthy foods and increasing sustainable food and agriculture systems.
• Benefit a private forestry initiative, food safety testing, regional food system support, value-added food and ag projects, and the Farmland and Open Space Preservation Program.
• Increase revenue for infrastructure improvements by $1.2 billion – revenue generated by increasing fuel taxes to a 33-cents-per-gallon flat rate. That would apply to both gasoline and diesel for two years to level the disparity between the two, then transition to a dynamic formula tied to the petroleum market. Registration fees for vehicles, trucks and trailers would also increase.
• Allocate $10 million for a new skilled trades training program, "to encourage more residents to master a skilled trade and to address job-to-talent mismatches.”