The Minnesota Milk Producers Association, Minnesota’s most prominent dairy lobbying group, released its 2023 policy and fiscal priorities. The MN Milk board of directors established priorities to set the direction for fiscal and policy priorities for the coming legislative session.
Fiscal priorities include funding for the Dairy Assistance, Investment and Relief Initiative II (DAIRI II), soil health and water quality improvement initiatives, dairy infrastructure investment and tax relief and credits such as Ag2School tax credit improvement, a permanent exemption for tax on cheese and expansion of the beginning farmer tax credit.
Policy priorities include three main areas of focus: farmer-led environmental initiatives, infrastructure improvements and supporting sound science. Farmer-led environmental initiatives priorities include creating farmer-led water and soil health councils, establishing a standard for greenhouse gas emissions calculations and providing resources for nutrient management plans. Infrastructure improvements include investing in rural roads and bridges, enhancing road construction standards to accommodate increased weight, improving broadband, updating stray voltage standards and road safety and licensing initiatives. The final category of supporting sound science includes changes to NPDES permits, adopting new soil health best management practices, updating the Environmental Assessment Worksheet, establishing standard procedures for water pump tests and providing regulatory relief for farmers.