Hot News

8.19.2008

By STEPHANIE JORDAN
Associate Editor

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland Ag Commission had a full agenda last week, with most of its focus on the Farm Bill and the special funding to the Chesapeake Bay region the bill is to provide.
John Hall, state conservationist for the Maryland Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), updated the commission on the listening session held last month in Annapolis that took suggestions for how those funds should be used in Maryland. Earlier this month, another meeting was held with other state conservationists in the Bay region to discuss how the funds should be distributed in the Bay region.
“We want to make sure the funds coming in are allocated strategically,” Hall said. “If you’ve got ways you can partner up with us, I sure as heck would like to hear them.”
He said the additional funding will be targeted to areas in “greatest impairment,” and that NRCS cannot use the money to increase staff. To identify the most impaired areas, the agency will utilize federal, state and local resources.
The state conservationists will convene again in early September to see how the states would like to divvy the funds.
Royden Powell, assistant secretary for the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Office of Resource Conservation, said MDA will work with NRCS as much as possible.
“We believe we are a frontline partner with NRCS in getting conservation programs on the ground,” he said.
MDA has sent a letter to Gov. Martin O’Malley with suggestions on using the Farm Bill funding, including targeting the money in the most cost-effective way; using cost-effective technology to maximize efforts; making sure there is adequate technical assistance; continue to look for new technologies; and show accountability for the funds.
Also at the meeting, the commission elected a new vice chairman, member Tom Hartsock, who is the commission’s livestock representative. He will become chairman next year once Gene Roberts, the current chairman, steps down.
Commission members gave commodity reports at the end of the meeting, talking about the issues facing their respective segment of the industry. Hartsock said that within six months to a year, meat prices will increase significantly, so “stock your freezer now.”
Bill Massey, the commission’s poultry representative, said companies are still attempting to balance rising energy and feed costs. Increasing seed costs could have a significant impact on those companies as well. Production is down because “there is too much protein on the market,” he said. Once the excess protein leaves the market, prices will rise.
Massey also said he has heard that the Environmental Protection Agency will be conducting more inspections of poultry farms at the end of the month.
Ronald Green, representing the equine industry, urged commission members to vote for the slots referendum in November, because “if the slots bill doesn’t go through in November, there will not be an equine industry in Maryland.”
Tom Shelton, representing viticulture, said the grape crop looks good this year, but in order to help the industry become more successful, “we need to change legislation to allow the industry to allow direct shipment (of wine) to the consumer.”