DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

    The 1999 budget of $61.7 million for the Department of Agriculture is $6.9 million more than the 1997-98 fiscal year. $1.3 million of this increase, went to General Government Operations for continuing operations. Another increase ($565,000) was directed at programs to assist the Department to provide better inspection of the food, water, and pesticide safety programs that were recently moved into this Department. Finally, the remaining increase of $802,000 will be to promote pesticide safety control.

    The program Agricultural Promotion received an increase of $450,000. This additional money will be used to improve the marketing programs that the Department was using for domestic trade, which were out dated. Another portion of the increase will be allocated towards improving some trade in-roads that the Department made with Mexico over the past few years.

    Transfer to Nutrient Management received a $2.63 million increase from last year=s budget. This program is dedicated to protect our quality water from nutrient runoff that occurs in our agricultural community. $560,000 of this increase will be used for community planning grants to determine structures necessary to reduce nutrient runoff. $2 million of this increase will be allocated for loans to farmers to carry our their nutrient management plans. The remaining $100,000 increase will be used for technical support .

    This budget year the Department has a new program entitled, Emergency Food Assistance Development. The Governor has proposed $4 million to provide food to those legal immigrants whose food stamps were cut off by the federal government. The money will be allocated to those counties or lead agencies to purchase food to those who met the criteria of the Food Banks Program within this Department. Grants are based on unemployment, food stamps or lack thereof, and recipients not on public assistance. In addition to this program, the General Assembly provided in the State Food Purchase program, an increase of $125,000 more than was budgeted by the Governor in the 1998-99 budget, therefore the total amount of money for this program is $13.775 million.

    This budget also includes an increase of $125,000 for Hardwoods Research and Promotion. Therefore, the total budget in the 1998-99 fiscal year for this appropriation is $617,000. Most of this money will be directed at promoting Pennsylvania=s hardwoods at various shows.

    The Animal Indemnities line item for the 1998-99 fiscal year has increased from the Governor=s proposal by $250,000. This 300,000 program will be used to eradicate the pseudo-rabies swine problem that is beginning to affect many Pennsylvania farmers.