Greene leader makes pitch for agricultural money
HARRISBURG – Greene County Commissioner Archie Trader urged lawmakers on Monday to find more money in the proposed 2008-09 state budget for agriculture research and other farming programs. Trader, who owns a farm with 30 ewes, testified before the state House Appropriations Committee on the opening day of budget hearings on the roughly $28 billion state spending plan.
Trader said he was pleased the governor proposed doubling subsidies for crop insurance to $3 million after funding was cut in half in 2007-08.
“With some of the dry years we’ve had, this will be a great response for those who may suffer crop loss,” he said.
But the governor also has proposed cutting funding for agricultural research grants to $2.1 million. That’s almost a one-third cut from the $3 million the state actually spent for research in the 2006-07 fiscal year, according to figures in the administration’s budget proposal.
Trader said research is needed to help farmers get better yields from their crops, especially when the demand for corn that’s used to produce ethanol is driving up feed costs.
“If you want to keep agriculture the No. 1 industry in Pennsylvania, we have to spend money on research or how are we going to feed (people)?” Trader asked.
Other belt-tightening at the state level has forced his county to pick up half of the cost of the 4-H Club education program, he said.
House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, said a lot of work has to be done to the agricultural portion of the budget before he and other rural lawmakers can support it.
“Within hours of the governor’s budget address, it was noted the agriculture budget was one area where rural Democrats needed to mobilize,” he said.
During the next three weeks, the state House and Senate will pick apart the roughly $28 billion budget Gov. Ed Rendell proposed on Feb. 5.
The deadline for passing a state budget is June 30, but lawmakers and Rendell have been unable to finish a spending plan on time for five years.