The Board and Staff of the Alaska Farmland Trust recognize the importance of the State Division of Agriculture and the services they provide to the agriculture industry as a whole. In response to the proposed budget cuts released in February of 2019, the following talking points are provided.
Issue: State Budget Cuts Impacting Alaska Agriculture
Talking Points:
- Agriculture is one of the only renewable resources in the State and our industry is growing!
- Programs slated for reduction or elimination from the State Division of Agriculture (Division) include: the Alaska Grown program, the Agriculture Revolving Loan Fund, the Farm to Institution program, and nearly all of the services of the Plant Materials Center. In addition to providing marketing and promotion, access to lending, development of new markets, and research on varieties and diseases, these programs also bring in millions of dollars in Federal funds. While the entire Division budget is ~$1.3 million State dollars, programs are supported and matched with between $2 and 3 million fee for service and federal dollars annually. Without the Division team to provide support however, these dollars will be turned away and growers will not have access to essential programs.
- The proposed cut of the Department of Environmental Conservation, Dairy Sanitation position would eliminate Alaskans access to grade A milk and put at least one multi-generational farm out of business.
- Services provided by the Division should be considered “core” services. Not only are the dedicated staff incredibly knowledgeable about Alaska agriculture issues, they are highly efficient, budget conscious and committed to supporting the industry as a whole. Alaskans have benefited from a Department or Division of Agriculture since Territorial Days; industry members are dependent on the knowledge, expertise and unbiased support that Division staff provide.
- The Division of Agriculture, Plant Materials Center (PMC) provides vital services for continued resource development within Alaska. The PMC is tasked with protecting the State from invasive species of plants, insects, animals and disease. Their efforts support natural resource development statewide, for example, Canada Thistle was recently discovered along the roadway north of the Alaska Range, 100 miles south of Prudhoe Bay. This invasive species is a threat to native plant vegetation and wildlife as well as a potential problem for future natural resource development. It is noteworthy that hundreds of millions of dollars are spent annually treating Canada Thistle in the lower 48; this is only to keep it at bay, as eradication is now considered impossible. The PMC staff treated the Alaskan outbreak of Canada Thistle with the intent to eradicate it from the North Slope, maintaining Alaska’s pristine environment.
- Alaskans’ import 95% of the food they purchase, but have demonstrated their support of Alaska Grown products through their commitment to shopping at Farmers Markets, participating in the $5 a week Alaska Grown Challenge at retail grocery stores, and encouraging growers of all
products to increase production. To cut off the valuable services provided by the Division now, during this time of incredible momentum, would be devastating to our immature but thriving industry. - We urge you to support full funding for the Division of Agriculture. Everybody eats and therefore we are all “involved” in Agriculture. Support the industry that can both help strengthen our food security and grow our economy.