Legislative actions will benefit Kentucky agriculture

 

 

Commissioner Richie Farmer

 

Kentucky agriculture had a good legislative session this year. The Kentucky General Assembly passed legislation that creates a new revenue stream for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, strengthens the state’s Grain Insurance Fund, and increases the state’s pesticide registration fee to provide more funding for agriculture programs. I’m grateful to the legislature, and particularly to the respective Agriculture Committee chairmen, Rep. Tom McKee and Sen. David Givens, for these and other actions that will help Kentucky farmers through these uncertain times.

 

I’m excited about the creation of a revolving trust fund that will provide new funding for the Department’s agricultural programs. The fund is paid for by voluntary contributions from anyone who applies for or renews a farm license plate. I hope those of you who buy the farm license plate will give to this voluntary fund knowing that it will be used for Kentucky agriculture.

 

Funds from the pesticide registration fee increase will go toward the Department’s Kentucky Agriculture and Environment in the Classroom (KAEC), Chemical Collection and Rinse and Return programs. KAEC helps teachers educate school children about the importance of agriculture and the environment in their everyday lives. Rinse and Return and Chemical Collection help keep empty pesticide containers and outdated or unwanted pesticides out of Kentucky’s environment.

 

House Bill 462 increases the cap for assessing Kentucky grain producers for the state Grain Insurance Fund from $4 million to $10 million and raises the maximum claim from a grain elevator failure from $100,000 to $200,000. This measure enables us to do a better job of protecting grain farmers in the event of a grain elevator failure.

 

I’m also pleased that the General Assembly passed a joint resolution urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to delay implementing a rule that will require removal of the brains and spinal cords of cattle more than 30 months old for any material from those animals to be used in animal feed. The FDA is going to grant a 60-day delay and will open a 30-day comment period to take comments on whether the ban should be delayed further. If nothing else, this will buy time for stakeholders and government to work out how to comply with the ban while minimizing the hardship to livestock producers, haulers and renderers.

 

All of these actions will make Kentucky agriculture better. But other issues remain, and the big one, of course, is the budget. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s budget is one-third lower than it was 10 years ago, adjusted for inflation. We have about 50 vacant positions that we can’t afford to fill. That make it increasingly difficult for us to carry out the duties we are required to perform and provide the services you expect and deserve.

 

The Department protects Kentucky’s livestock from disease, helps Kentucky Proud producers find markets for their products, inspects motor fuel pumps, tests motor fuel, checks price scanners and performs dozens of other services we all depend on to maintain our standard of living. Please let your legislators know you value the services provided by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.