Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey yesterday requested an additional $500,000 for the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship’s Animal Industry Bureau to aid in preparing for and potentially responding to a foreign animal disease outbreak. Northey also reiterated his support for a proposal that has been considered by the Iowa Legislature which would provide nearly $500 million through the year 2029 for water quality improvement efforts in the state.

That water quality funding proposal was passed by the Iowa House of Representatives last session but it wasn’t discussed by the Iowa Senate.

Northey highlighted several proposals in public budget meeting

AG SPENDING FOR 2018: Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey met with Gov. Terry Branstad yesterday in a public budget meeting. Northey outlined the state ag department’s 2018 budget proposal; the request includes $500,000 for animal disease emergency preparation.

Meeting November 28 with Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad to discuss budget proposals for agriculture, Northey said: “I recognize we are in a very tight budget time in the state, due in large part to the challenging economic environment in Iowa’s ag industry. However, it is important we continue to invest in priority areas that put our state in a good position for continued growth.”

Northey requested $500,000 for the state ag department’s Animal Industry Bureau for foreign animal disease outbreak response preparation. The funds would be used to provide livestock farmers with additional expertise to increase biosecurity efforts and allow the Iowa Department of Agriculture to better equip and prepare for future responses to foreign animal disease outbreaks that may occur.

“The value of Iowa’s animal industry is $13.45 billion, and growing. Unfortunately, the High Path Avian Influenza outbreak last year showed how devastating a foreign animal disease can be in our state. These funds would allow the ag department to better prepare for a future animal disease emergency response,” Northey said.

Plan would boost water quality efforts without raising taxes

Northey also reiterated his support for the water quality funding proposal the ag department supported and helped draft. If it would have passed the legislature and been signed into law, it would have provided nearly $500 million through 2029 for water quality efforts without raising taxes. This proposal prioritized existing infrastructure funds toward edge-of-field and in-field infrastructure, like wetlands, saturated buffers, and bioreactors to improve water quality. It also directed fees Iowans already pay on their water bills toward improving wastewater and drinking water facilities.

This proposal passed the Iowa House last session with bipartisan support but was never considered by the Iowa Senate.

Funding would significantly expand water quality efforts

The additional funding would allow the state ag department to significantly expand the water quality efforts underway. To date through the Iowa Water Quality Initiative, more than 5,000 farmers have signed up to try water quality practices on their farms and there are currently 45 demonstration projects throughout the state to help implement and demonstrate these practices in both rural and urban settings. More than 100 organizations are participating in these projects. In addition, countless more farmers are trying practices on their farm without any assistance.

 “As we have worked to scale-up the Iowa Water Quality Initiative, identifying significant, sustainable, and ongoing funding to support the state’s water quality efforts has been a priority. I appreciate the leadership from the governor and the Iowa House on this issue and believe this plan that has received strong bipartisan support and allows us to make a significant investment in water quality without raising taxes is the right path forward on this critically important issue,” Northey said.

State soil conservation cost-share attracts matching funds

Northey also requested $6.75 million for conservation cost share again in fiscal 2018. For over four decades, Iowa’s soil conservation cost share program has encouraged the adoption of conservation structures and practices to protect and preserve our state’s natural resources. Last year alone, the state’s $6.29 million investment generated $8.676 million in matching funds from Iowa farmers and land owners to support conservation practices.

In the meeting with Branstad, Northey also requested $1.875 million to close Agriculture Drainage Wells (ADWs). Of the 300 registered ADWs in Iowa, 18 remain to be closed at an estimated cost of $7.5 million. This level of funding over the next four years would allow all of the remaining ADWs to be closed.

Iowa pesticide licensing and certification system needs updating

The final request for additional funding that Northey presented was $150,000 from the Technology Reinvestment Fund to begin the process of updating the Iowa Commercial Pesticide License and Certification Database system. The database carries records for over 20,000 certified private applicators, over 14,000 certified commercial applicators and handlers, as well as over 4,000 licensees. The state ag department’s Pesticide Bureau has annually collected more than $5 million in fees in recent years that are used to support the Groundwater Protection Fund in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and more than $1 million returned to the state’s General Fund.