Agriculture secretary praises Pa. state budget for addressing industry challenges

Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding on Wednesday applauded the fiscal year 2018-19 budget signed by Gov. Tom Wolf last week for its investments in addressing challenges facing the state’s agriculture industry.

“This year’s budget directly supports agriculture in the commonwealth and the communities that rely on it, providing continued investments in programs that benefit all Pennsylvanians,” Sec. Redding said.

“From protecting our land and products from invasive pests and ensuring consumer safety to preparing students and workers for careers in agriculture and putting food on tables across the state, agriculture touches us all,” he added.

The budget plan includes $3 million for controlling the Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive species that has spread to 13 southeastern Pennsylvania counties and threatens to destroy $18 million of agricultural commodities.

The budget also allocates $5 million to help the dairy industry through research and development, organic transition, value-added processing and marketing grants.

The Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus Program (PASS) received $1.5 million, an increase of $500,000. PASS helps connect charitable food systems with farmers willing to provide food to hungry families across the state. The program offsets the picking and packing costs of this surplus product.

In the agricultural education space, Penn State University and the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine each received a 3 percent budget increase.

In addition, the budget also allocated $30 million for PAsmart, a unique workforce development proposal to invest in STEM and computer science education, support technical education programs, and encourage employers and schools to work together to help students get the skills employers need.

“The funding provided in the 2018-19 budget reflects a commitment to preserving, protecting, and advancing agriculture in the commonwealth,” Redding added.