Supporters of a $40 million bond proposal before state lawmakers say it would support Maine's agriculture industry by providing funding for grant programs and low-interest loans.
Presented by Rep. Bill Pluecker, D-Warren, LD 2094 would allow voters to decide on the massive investment in Maine farms and forestry companies.
"In light of shifting funding from the federal government, increased climate pressure and shifting commodity markets that don't support Maine's farms — the state needs this bond to provide stable investment our farms need to weather current challenges and build long term resilience," Pluecker said in a testimony to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs Tuesday.
More than half of the bond proposal would fund infrastructure improvements to help farms increase productivity. Many farmers, including wild blueberry grower Ron Howard, testified Maine farms are behind on equipment upgrades compared to other states.
Howard said he was able to purchase automatic harvesting equipment thanks to state-administered grant funding which then allowed him to enter into new contracts with distributers.
"The distributer said 'we could buy as many as you can make' and we're trying to do that. I'm trying to do this for all wild blueberry growers," he said. "I think anytime you're going to improve funds you have to be sure it's going to be handled well, and I can't say enough about how well [Maine DACF] did it before."
Representatives from Maine's logging industries agreed that equipment upgrades are the among the most crucial investments to be made in the agriculture sector.
Though Dana Doran, the executive director of the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast, told committee members forestry industries should see a larger allocation from the bond proposal.
In its current form, the bond would allocate about $12 million to the forestry industry while the rest would go to farming. Doran said he'd like to see a 50/50 split.
"[Timber] markets in the state have been constrained because of inflation, high interest rates, reductions in construction, tariffs and global competition," he said. "Logging contractors have no control over markets, but they are at the whim and mercy of those markets as price takers, not price setters."
While no one in the crowd testified against the bill, some lawmakers raised questions regarding the size of the bonds.
"There's always a lot of competition between bonds particularly at the end of the second session," said Rep. Kenneth Fredette , R-Newport.
But farmers said investment in certain programs that help them endure droughts, adapt to climate change and protect farmland are crucial for the industries' survival.
Under the bill, the Farmers Drought Relief Grant Program would see $4 million to help farmers invest in irrigation.
Molly DellaRoman, who owns 5 Star Orchard in Brooklin, said those projects will be especially important following one of the driest seasons in three decades.
"The existing infrastructure here simply cannot handle the growing threats from climate change," she said. "There is always too much water or not enough to grow a consistent crop year-to-year."
Despite snow on the ground, much of Maine is still experiencing abnormally dry soil conditions that could persist through the rest of winter.
The Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs will schedule a work session on LD 2094 in the coming days where lawmakers can propose amendments before deciding whether to send it to the voting floor.
