GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY REQUESTS FEDERAL FUNDING FOR EASTERN SHORE ANIMAL HEALTH DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY AND COVER CROPS

ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 11, 2010) – Governor Martin O’Malley, joined by Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance, formally presented Maryland’s FY2011 federal priorities to serve the agricultural industry to the State’s Congressional delegation today.  Hosted by Senator Barbara Mikulski, the members heard a number of priorities for Maryland farmers including a $5 million request to replace the aging Eastern Shore Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory and $8 million for Maryland’s cover crop program.

“These requests are critical for creating jobs and growing our economy on the Eastern Shore,” said Governor O’Malley.  “A new diagnostic lab is vital to our ability to help protect the health of Maryland’s poultry industry that is central to the economic well being of families across the Eastern Shore.  Cover crops are the most cost effective and efficient way for farmers to prevent soil erosion and take up excess nutrient from crop fields after summer harvest, some 600,000 acres of which go directly to the poultry industry for feed.  Additional funding will help us meet our 2-year Chesapeake Bay milestones by helping farmers cover their costs of growing winter cover crops for which they receive no or little income.  On behalf of our farm families, I want to thank the delegation members for their interest and support for these priorities.”

Broiler production is by far the largest agricultural sector in Maryland and accounted for nearly $800 million in sales in 2008. Nearly 1,000 Maryland families raised broilers as their principal farm enterprise.  For the entire region, the Delmarva broiler industry directly employed 14,500 people and produced more $2.2 billion in product in 2008.

A new laboratory will focus on poultry health diagnostics for the commercial poultry industries, but will maintain basic service capacity for all species diagnostics.  The State’s fiscal constraints resulted in the recent closure of the only full time/full service livestock diagnostic laboratory on Delmarva.  The new laboratory will restore the State’s capacity to serve the other animal industries. The capability to handle all species at this facility is essential to support infectious disease regulatory and emergency operations of the agency as well as to support local animal control and law enforcement investigations involving animals.

Maryland’s Two Year Milestones for Chesapeake Bay restoration lay out 27 practices to accelerate the reduction of 3.75 million pounds of nitrogen loading to the Bay.  The reduction planned from cover crops is approximately one third of the total.  The requested funding as a dedicated block grant from USDA will provide the resources needed to more closely meet this goal.  Planting cover crops are valuable statewide but considered to be extremely valuable in the highly agricultural areas of the Eastern Shore and Central/Western area of Maryland.

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