By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois’ agricultural industry is currently “without a road map” and in need of steering from the newly installed administration of Gov. J.B. Pritzker. This is according to the Growing Our Agricultural Economy transition team assembled by Pritzker before he took office, whose final advisory report was released to the public and media this month. The transition team “was a very diverse group,” said Colleen Callahan, a former USDA rural director for Illinois who chaired the team. “It was a group that came together in a bipartisan manner; the discussions were open, they were honest and frank and the recommendations were direct and came with realistic timelines.” The report is centered on growing the state’s agriculture industry and economy, while making sure farmers and rural Illinoisans are not left behind when it comes to policy decisions that affect them. It extols the state’s many natural attributes that enhance agricultural production and delivery, while praising its diversity in farmer demographics, crop production and university crop and food research. The marketing of Illinois agricultural commodities generates more than $19 billion annually, according to the report. However, problems remain that the Pritzker administration is in a position to address, the team concluded – most notably in funding restoration to the state agriculture department, passage of a capital bill to address infrastructure needs, an increase in rural broadband availability, statewide food insecurity and the ongoing global tariff wars’ impact on Illinois farmers. “Despite Illinois’ great strengths, an absence of vision and agricultural leadership has left the state without a road map,” reads the report, in part. “The budget crisis caused cuts to the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s (IDOA) operations, promotions and export marketing and to agriculture education at colleges and universities across the state, negatively impacting the education programs that support students who want to enter the field of agriculture. “County fairs are in desperate need of infrastructure upgrades for fairgrounds. Additionally, the roads and port districts that farmers rely on to get their products from farm to market need to be upgraded, but Illinois has not had a major capital bill since 2009. An absence of widely available broadband prevents producers from fully utilizing agricultural technology, rural schools from providing optimal education and the state from retaining businesses and employees outside Chicago. “Food insecurity threatens the health and well-being of Illinoisans, and the Trump administration is waging trade wars that are hurting Illinois farmers,” it added. The transition team offered key recommendations in five key areas: marketing, agricultural education, infrastructure and rural development, innovation and market expansion and taxes and regulations. It calls for full funding of the IDOA, along with increased collaboration between that agency and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (IDCEO) on projects that grow the agricultural economy. Better use of the 80 foreign trade offices in Chicago to build trade networks that encourage the purchase Illinois ag products would be a part of the collaboration. The committee would also like to see IDCEO focus on traditional grain and livestock promotion as part of its initiatives. “The governor and IDOA should be stronger advocates to both the federal government and international networks to increase the credibility for the agriculture industry at-large. The state should promote the state’s agribusiness from a lens of the economic value that agriculture provides to the state and the opportunities Illinois offers for international business expansion,” the report stated. Bullet points of the transition report include: •Creation of a job-ready workforce development strategy, including agricultural science •Advancing vocational training by incentivizing “new” curriculums, providing an alternative, well-paying path to college •Expanding the University of Illinois extension program •Increasing opportunities for young farmers •Improving state infrastructure and expanding broadband •Creating a rural innovation fund in partnership with colleges and public universities •Ensuring farmers are partners in the cannabis legalization process •Expanding urban agriculture across the state •Accelerating the development of new technologies and market expansion •Maintaining fair and equitable property taxation for farmers In the short term, the advisory committee recommended that Pritzker create a foreign animal disease task force so the state can proactively prepare for any that might enter the state. It also advises him to ensure strong state agricultural representation on federal commissions, including the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition and National Assoc. of State Departments of Agriculture. “The state should begin to redefine agriculture across education, new markets and rural development. In order for the industry to thrive, the state should support agricultural innovation and better promote the industry as a whole,” the report concluded. “If Illinois can strengthen and expand its No. 1 industry, it can be a national leader and maintain its footprint in agriculture, agribusiness and food.” The ag advisory committee’s full report to the governor can be accessed online at www2.illinois.gov/sites/gov/Pages/Transition.aspx |
