Maine Potato Sector Scores USD2.75m Funding for Research

A U.S. Senate committee has signed off on a funding bill that would provide help to Maine’s potato industry, as well as other rural enterprises, reports Maine Public.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins says the bill includes USD2.75m for potato research grants. Collins is a member of the Appropriations Committee, which has passed Agriculture, Rural Development, Food & Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill for the fiscal year 2020 with a unanimous vote.

Collins says the bill would also boost other industries important to rural Maine’s economy, including organic agriculture, craft brewing, and aquaculture. Collins says the proposal is aimed to invest in critical agricultural research.

The bill includes USD20m for an integrated pest management program that will support work at the University of Maine.