Budget Section reviews agriculture commissioner and NDSU research and extension appropriations

Grant Gator, fiscal analyst with Legislative Counsel, presented the state budget actions reports for the Agriculture Commissioner and the agriculture research and extension agencies. He summarized ongoing and one‑time appropriations, FTE changes and notable legislative items affecting the agencies.

Key items Gator highlighted for the Agriculture Commissioner included one FTE plant protectionist position funded from the general fund and the Environment and Rangeland Protection Fund (roughly $214,000 per biennium), transfer of administration of the farm management program to the Agriculture Commissioner (ongoing authority of $1,900,000), and one‑time items such as $3,000,000 from Bank of North Dakota profits for APOC funding, $3,000,000 for grassland grazing grants, and $5,000,000 from SIF for a food distribution facility grant program (House Bill 1143).

For the research and extension agencies, Gator noted branch research centers received partial funding for a grape and vineyard research specialist (no new FTE authority), the NDSU extension service received funding for an extension carbon specialist position (about $290,000 and one FTE), and the main research center received several one‑time construction and equipment items (about $1,567,000 in one‑time general fund authority for storage sheds and other projects). He also noted removal of authorization for 4.98 vacant FTE positions and about $1,140,000 in general fund authority removed from the main research center budget.

Gator pointed members to related bills that affect agricultural development funds, including a $30,000,000 line of credit deposit to the Agriculture Diversification and Development Fund (House Bill 1332) and a $15,000,000 one‑time transfer into the agriculture diversification and development fund (Senate bill 2327). He said that NDSU had previously paused at least one research building project because earlier appropriations were exceeded by bids but that recent additional authority should allow the project to proceed.

Gator offered to invite agency representatives back to provide progress updates on construction and storage‑shed projects at a later Budget Section meeting.