MD Eastern Shore Delegation proposes legislation that could benefit farmers and poultry industry
Annapolis, Md. – The recent deadline to get legislation to the opposite chamber sparked a lot of debate, including how some bills might affect the farming and chicken industry on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Some of the legislation considered for solar panels, for example, concerned Del. Wayne Hartman (R – District 38C, Wicomico and Worcester Counties), who said it might negatively impact chicken farms.
“You know, on the Eastern Shore, poultry is a big deal and we need those grains, the corn and soybeans and things like that,” he said.
However, Hartman says there is also proposed legislation that would help farmers. House Bill 972, co-sponsored by Hartman, would establish the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund, providing grants advancing agricultural fairs and education statewide.
“It’s $200,000 a year in funding, $100,000 is going to go to FFA — Future Farmers of America — and another $100,000 is going to go into the Agriculture Education Promise Fund,” he said. “And that helps our Maryland Fair, other agricultural fairs and things of that nature.”
State Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R – District 38, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties) says emergency legislation she is co-sponsoring would establish a means to streamline poultry farm compliance while enabling them to be environmentally compliant.
SB would allow concentrated animal feeding operation permits, known as CAFOs, to go to the construction of poultry farms.
“So what this emergency bill does, it allows the poultry growers to go forward with construction as long as they’re in compliance with all the other permits with the Maryland Department of the environment,” she said. “So I want to be clear, they will still need to be in full compliance, but this allows them to start because they’ve been stalled since the summer.”
Carozza said the Maryland Department of the Environment failed to go forward with the permit back in the summer, which she says stopped all poultry and house construction, which “ended up impacting our shore economy in the tune of $30 million.”
SB 371 has passed in the senate and has been referred to the House Environment and Transportation Committee with a hearing set for Wednesday at 1 p.m. The bill was also cross-filed with House Bill 395. Co-sponsored by Del. Hartman, HB 395 has passed the house and was referred to the Senate Education, Energy and Environment Committee.
