The legislative Joint Finance Committee has approved funding for the agriculture and agribusiness export initiative.
The program, which was signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers in December, creates a new five-year initiative led by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to increase the export of the state's dairy, meat and other agricultural products by 25 percent by mid-2026.
Authored by Sen. Joan Ballweg of Markesan and Rep. Tony Kurtz from Wonewoc, the bill specifies that $2.5 million, or half the total funds appropriated, will be used to increase the export sales of milk, cheese, yogurt, whey, and other dairy products.
Last year, Wisconsin exported $3.37 billion worth of agricultural and food products to 145 countries.
Categories: Wisconsin, Business