By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) averted more extensive layoffs last week when the state legislature passed a supplemental bill restoring cuts that were made to the department.

Supplemental House Bill 4311 passed the state House and Senate late last week, restoring $7.088 million in cuts.

“We had 16 line-item vetoes that affected the Michigan Department of Agriculture,” said Jennifer Holton, a spokeswoman for the MDA. “It includes a $300,000 reduction for the agricultural development division. We were slated to lose 28 employees today, but we ended up just losing two. Today, 26 people did not lose their jobs.”

An additional $700,000 was cut from the budget of the office of racing commissioner. If the layoffs had gone through, it would have meant 49 layoffs for this year altogether. The two that did get laid off last week included the director of the agricultural development division, Robert Craig, and the general manager of the Select Michigan program, Christine Leitzau.

Holton said the Select Michigan Marketing Program at MDA has been eliminated by the cuts, except for a few functions. Other MDA layoffs this year included six positions on June 8 and another 15 that took effect on Oct. 30.

Early last week, officials from the MDA went to the Agriculture Commission’s monthly meeting, at the commission’s request, to give a special presentation highlighting the accomplishments of the ag development division of the MDA.

These accomplishments included its work developing a specialty crop block grant program. As a result of this work, the department received 47 requests for grants through the program and awarded more than $2 million in grants, which resulted in $1.2 million in private investment from industry in the form of matching funds for various projects.

The presentation also highlighted the department’s work developing agricultural renaissance zones and business expansions. According to an MDA document used at the presentation, these efforts resulted in $658 million of new private investment in the state and the creation of 985 new jobs.
It also summarized its work with the Gerber Co., which ended up doing a major expansion in the state, including an investment of $75 million at its Fremont facility.

According to the MDA document, the MDA and Department of Environmental Quality “stepped up their efforts in partnership with the Michigan Cranberry Council to expand the state’s cranberry industry by announcing in June 2009, the ‘Michigan Agricultural Advantages Program.’

The program makes Michigan one of the prime areas to expand cranberry production here compared to any other state in the United States or in Canada; and serves as a model for environmentally sound cranberry production.”

The presentation also highlighted the department’s many other projects, nurturing and promoting the state’s agriculture industry. Also last week, Jim Byrum, president of the Michigan Agri-business Assoc. and chairman of the Agriculture Commission, announced his resignation from the commission. He issued a brief statement on his motivation:

“Michigan agriculture is a shining star in our state’s economy and will continue to be. I disagree with some of the recent decisions made that impact our industry. Because of that, I feel it is time for me to step down as a member of the Michigan Commission of Agriculture.”

Byrum refused to answer any other questions on why he is stepping down.