Fresh off a re-election victory on Nov. 8, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will promote a 2023-24 state budget that will include several key priorities for the agriculture industry.

“Colorado’s agriculture is vibrant and diverse and is one of the economic drivers of our state. The Governor’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2023-24 supports CDA’s mission of diversifying supply chains, promoting stewardship of our natural resources, supporting the future generations in ag, and improving animal health and welfare across Colorado,” said Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg. 

The Governor's budget proposal includes funding for several CDA programs and department priorities. To promote voluntary stewardship programs and enhance market diversity, the budget proposal designates funding for a market specialist who will help create and amplify market opportunities for Colorado producers growing commodities using regenerative and climate-smart agricultural practices.

 Specifically, this position will help create market-based incentives for producers who are part of the STAR soil health program and who are voluntarily implementing climate and drought-smart management practices in their operations that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water, or sequester carbon dioxide, among other outcomes.

As CDA works to scale the STAR program to a nationwide model, we will lead the effort to foster widespread adoption of these practices in the private market and create market opportunities for climate-smart producers. 

Included in the budget is funding for the Palisade Insectary, a critical resource for noxious weed managers and ag producers. The first part of this funding will support the improvement and expansion of the Insectary’s greenhouse. 

New greenhouse

The greenhouse serves as a primary research and development facility for the 77-year-old insectary, which imports, rears, researches, and distributes biological control agents for the state of Colorado.

Successful biological pest control reduces production costs, decreases the amount of chemicals entering the environment, and establishes colonies of beneficial insects offering a natural permanent pest control solution.

Additionally, a funding request for a new lab technician will support the Insectary’s Request-a-bug program, which allows Coloradans to order shipments of biocontrol agents to use as natural techniques to mitigate invasive pests’ spread in the community and agriculture industry.

To support emergency response and disease detection and response, the budget proposal includes additional funding for CDA’s Animal Health Division to support critical disease detection and emergency response functions. The budget also requests additional funding for a full-time Compliance Investigator and resources for a social services and mental health contractor for the Bureau of Animal Protection. 

These requests are part of Governor Polis’s FY2023-24 Budget Request document. The document also includes a request for funding that will benefit rural and agricultural communities across Colorado. 

For instance, the budget includes $38.3 million for fire response, including investments in preparedness and mitigation, and another $41 million for preserving water quality and protecting water rights and access.

Source: Colorado Department of Agriculture