Governor Shapiro has taken concrete steps to supporting Pennsylvania farmers as the agricultural industry and farmers are a key driver in the economy, supporting one in 10 jobs and contributing $132 billion a year to the economy.
Worked with Pennsylvania farmers to mitigate the impact of the avian flu outbreaks and allocated $2.5 million from the Department of Agriculture to farmers impacted by the virus. In August 2023, the Administration announced Pennsylvania reached the critical milestone of HPAI-free status, marking a return to normal international trade conditions for the Commonwealth’s $7.1 billion poultry industry for the first time since April 2022.
Signed the FY2023-24 budget with $31 million to support Pennsylvania poultry farmers impacted by the avian influenza crisis to pay for testing and get reimbursed for losses to their flocks.
Signed the FY2023-24 budget that invested $1 million to create a new, one of the first-of-its kind Organic Center for Excellence to empower and support organic farmers and businesses and signed legislation creating a PA Preferred Organic brand for locally grown organic agricultural products.
Expanded the Farm Vitality Planning Grants’ funding by $200,000 through the Department of Agriculture to help Pennsylvania farms strategically plan to expand, diversify, or transition ownership.
Awarded over $730,000 in grants to produce fresh food and create economic opportunity in urban Pennsylvania neighborhoods.
Invested over $26 million in state funds via the Department of Agriculture to protect over 10,000 acres on 136 farms from future development and to preserve for agriculture production.
Signed the FY2023-24 budget into law that invested $2 million in the Fresh Food Financing Initiative to contribute to better health outcomes by improving access to PA-grown and produced food, and $2 million to fund the State Food Purchase Program to provide state funds for emergency food assistance to low-income Pennsylvanians.
“What is good for rural Pennsylvania is good for urban Pennsylvania. Financing farms, providing access to capital resources, and investing in broadband infrastructure to connect communities are all proposed in this budget and are vital to our Commonwealth’s competitiveness.”
Kevin Schreiber, York County Executive Alliance President