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#5 AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION AND VALUE-ADDED INITIATIVES
We strongly support individual and cooperative efforts by producers to improve income with processing and marketing methods which add value to raw farm products while maintaining food safety.
Continuing structural changes in the agricultural processing industry have adversely affected many traditional supply/demand relationships between producers and their buyers. Value-added initiatives allow for opportunities to deal with these changes and keep the agricultural industry profitable.
We support the Michigan State University (MSU) Product Center, their objectives and ongoing efforts. Objectives of the MSU Product Center are:
- Act as facilitators and an information resource for any individual or group of producers interested in pursuing a value-added project.
- Pursue state and federal grants to support value-added activities in Michigan.
- Encourage federal, state and local governments to actively promote this concept as had been done elsewhere in the country (e.g., incentives for biofuels, agricultural renaissance zones, tax abatements and grants).
- Act as a liaison to expedite the expansion of existing operations or the start-up of value-added projects in the beginning phase.
- Provide additional support to expand opportunities in the bio-economy.
Michigan Farm Bureau shall encourage support and, where possible and prudent, coordinate the formation of producer alliances and cooperatives.
We support efforts to maintain and build a strong agricultural processing industry in the State. To achieve this goal, we recommend existing and prospective processors be given more incentives to stay or build in Michigan, including industrial facility exemption options, tax breaks and regulatory reform/relief, and ample access to necessary inputs such as investment capital, labor, energy and raw products.
We support increased funding for, and agricultural representation on, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to better serve the needs of agriculture and the food industry. We support Michigan Department of Agriculture authority and/or oversight over the granting of MEDC funds for agricultural development activity.
We support the use of Michigan MarketMaker (http://mi.marketmaker.uiuc.edu), an Internet marketplace for farmers to feature Michigan-based commodities and value-added products. We support a coordinated effort between the agriculture industry and controllers of publicly owned lands (e.g., county parks, rest areas, car pool lots, parking lots) to facilitate farmers' marketing of Michigan-grown products to consumers at these locations.
Value-added farm ventures, such as processing and agri-tourism, are growing segments of Michigan agriculture. These ventures are legitimate farm enterprises and should be entitled to all farm-related advantages and protection provided by the State, regardless of the level of product sales from the operation, and have legal protection modeled after Right to Farm legislation.
We support the availability of agricultural renaissance zones to the entire agricultural industry and that each industry be evaluated separately as to their qualifications.
We support additional funding of the Julian-Stille Value-Added Development Act and the development of a permanent funding source.
We encourage the use of grant programs for industry segments that typically find it difficult to secure loans due to being perceived as high risk ventures.
We support the establishment of a State of Michigan low interest loan program to fund qualified value-added ventures.
We support a review of regulations to ensure viability of the agricultural processing industry in Michigan.
