MCGA: Enact the ag policy bill for the sensible legislation it is (Updated)

Update: A few hours after posting this blog, Governor Dayton vetoed the Agriculture Policy bill. MCGA is disappointed in Gov. Dayton’s decision to not enact this sensible bipartisan legislation.

The Minnesota Corn Growers Association and its grower leaders have worked tirelessly throughout the Minnesota legislative session to advance important priorities for Minnesota corn farmers, including an agriculture policy bill that includes several broadly supported provisions to support agricultural production and Minnesota farm families. At the end of the session, MCGA was happy to see HF 4133—known as the ag policy bill—pass overwhelmingly with bipartisan support. The Minnesota Senate approved the bill by a vote of 49 – 13, and the Minnesota House of Representatives approved the bill 85-37.

Now, the state’s corn growers are urging Governor Mark Dayton to sign the bill for the sensible legislation it is, rather than veto the bill for only political reasons. Minnesota’s corn growers—indeed, all Minnesota citizens—need to see some positive, agriculturally-related results from this legislative session, which failed to pass a Buffer Property Tax Credit that would have provided some property tax relief to farmers during times of economic stress. The ag policy bill includes important measures such as:

• Adjusting the minimum eligibility threshold for the Bioincentive Program to enable increased corn utilization for advanced biofuel and biobased chemical production
• Updating regulations to help establish and grow value-added aquaculture production (that includes the use of corn as feed in fish farming)
• Clarifying that soil loss ordinances are only applicable if adopted by local governments
• Expanding eligibility to drainage authorities for low-cost financing to implement drainage system improvements through the Agriculture Best Management Practice loan program
• Improving access to the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit program by clarifying eligibility requirements

If Gov. Dayton does veto the ag bill, the Chairs of the Minnesota House and Senate Agriculture Policy Committees have stated they will invoke a rarely-used provision in Minnesota Statutes 14.126 that would effectively delay the adoption of the Groundwater Protection Rule until 2019. MCGA and its grower leaders will continue to follow this process closely and make our views known.

In the meantime, MCGA will address concerns with the proposed Groundwater Protection Rule through the ongoing rulemaking process. We were very disappointed to discover in the final days of the legislative session when the Governor’s office and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture mischaracterized the position of MCGA by implying it supported the Groundwater Protection Rule as it was recently published. For the record, MCGA has never expressed support of the Groundwater Protection Rule as it was recently published. In fact, MCGA and its grower leaders still have concerns about the latest version and are committed to actively addressing these concerns in the rulemaking process on behalf of Minnesota farmers.

While this process plays out at the Capitol, Minnesota’s corn growers will continue to take actions to be part of the solution in protecting our state’s water. With more than $6 million of corn grower check-off dollars already invested since 2014 in nitrogen research and education, Minnesota’s corn farmers are proactive in improving their nitrogen use efficiency as part of their mission to become the most sustainable and environmentally friendly corn growers in the nation.