On October 7, MABA President Chuck Lippstreu joined MDARD Director Tim Boring, Michigan Agricultural Commodities (MAC) VP Robert Geers and leaders of Farmers for Free Trade for a media briefing at MAC Breckenridge on trade and exports.
You can read more about this event in the press:
DTN: Ag Groups Press for Aid While Some Raise Concerns About Long-Term Tariff DamageBrownfield: Michigan ag leaders say lost exports could damage entire farm economy9&10 Michigan: Agriculture officials warn against protracted trade war
Following are selected quotes from Lippstreu’s remarks at the event. You can learn more about FFT’s Motorcade for Trade by visiting this link.
On overall trade from Michigan:
“I want to be clear, our state is an export success story. Michigan is proud to grow crops that are enjoyed by people on six continents. And just this past year, and multiple times over recent years, our state has reached record export value. We’re really proud of that in the state of Michigan. We need to keep that going. We’re glad to be here with Farmers for Free Trade today because we want to be sure that we’re not shy telling the story that exports underpin so much of our rural economic success in the state of Michigan.”
On the importance of trading relationships for the rural economy:
“Agriculture is our state’s second largest economic engine when you look at the full scope of food and agricultural production. Around a quarter of jobs in our state are somehow tied back to the food value chain, second only to the manufacturing industry. We can’t lose that, especially in places like Breckenridge, where rural businesses like MAC are cornerstones of the local economy.”
“The grain industry alone in the state of Michigan supports around 15,000 jobs, according to a recent economic analysis released by NGFA, and pumps billions of dollars, $4.8 billion annually, into our state’s economy. That’s not nothing; it’s very important. It supports farmer livelihoods and rural economic success. We want to continue to see Michigan achieve record export volume and value.”
On maintaining and expanding export markets for Michigan:
“We have got to continue to prioritize major existing export destinations for Michigan-grown products. That means ensuring that we have export opportunities into one of our largest trade partners, China. It means maintaining the North American partnerships that are so important for us here in Michigan, including our largest trading partner, Canada, and our second largest export destination, Mexico.
“We have an opportunity as an industry, I think, to make sure we’re telling that story, how critical exports are, especially in these large existing markets, and to support policymakers in their efforts to make sure we have fair, open trade and opportunities to market products throughout the world.”
“Especially for us here in Michigan, where we are a hub for North American trade and travel and commerce, that relationship with Canada in particular stands out. The relationship with Mexico stands out, and certainly our soybean growers are concerned about the situation with China. Making sure that we maintain and expand those existing export destinations would go a long way to providing some ability for all of us to sleep better at night. The administration is also, as we know, taking new steps to prioritize new market development, and we applaud that. We think that’s a good thing.”
On the State of Michigan budget as it relates to trade
“Here in Michigan last week, lawmakers came together on a strong bipartisan basis, worked through some difficult issues, and ultimately passed a bipartisan budget agreement that funds the roads, that funds departments of government in common-sense ways, and funds at full year-over-year levels the functions at MDARD that we rely on to facilitate exports.
That was possible because Speaker Hall and Leader Brinks and the Governor and her team were able to come together and work through some difficult issues and get a budget agreement in place. We were glad to see that. It’s good for Michigan agriculture. It’s good for exports because, again, we rely on our state government as well as the federal government on [export facilitation].”
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LANSING, MI – The Michigan Agri-Business Association (MABA), in comments submitted today to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), voiced its support for proposed rules to expand Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, while urging the agency to streamline paperwork and reduce regulatory barriers that hinder agricultural use.
“Agriculture is one of the fastest-growing sectors for drone use, but outdated processes make it harder for rural businesses to keep pace with innovation,” said Chuck Lippstreu, president of MABA. “We thank the Administration for its forward-looking efforts to better integrate drones into the national airspace. We urge the FAA to take this opportunity to help American agriculture, ensuring final rules reflect the unique realities of agricultural work.”
In comments to the agency, MABA and its members highlighted how drones are transforming modern agriculture through aerial imaging, precision application and data collection. However, the association cautioned that outdated FAA processes, including lengthy aircraft registration and Notice to Airmen filing requirements, are slowing adoption and penalizing compliant operators.
MABA registered its overall support for the BVLOS rulemaking, and provided recommendations across several key areas:
“Michigan and U.S. agriculture will continue to be strong partners when it comes to safe, effective aviation practices,” said Lippstreu. “These comments reflect the input and concerns of a wide range of Michigan agriculture stakeholders working with drones every day. We are excited for what the future holds in this space, and welcome the opportunity to help FAA craft common-sense guidelines for drone operations.”
Overnight into October 3, the Michigan Legislature and Governor Whitmer reached a budget agreement for FY2026. Budget legislation was subsequently passed by the House and Senate and is headed to the Governor’s desk for signature.
MABA and the broader agriculture industry have been highly engaged on the budget process, and agreement of a bipartisan FY26 budget is an important, welcome development. We appreciate members of the Legislature from both parties, and leaders in the Administration, for getting this budget across the finish line. The agreement avoids a costly state shutdown and addresses many topics important to agriculture and MABA.
Here are some topics of interest to MABA members:
Agriculture Industry Fees and Support for Stewardship Programs: The budget process finalized a bipartisan agreement that continues certain agriculture industry fees (pesticide registration and fertilizer tonnage fees) at their current levels until October 1, 2029. In a slight change, the final enacted sunset date is earlier than the December 2030 date that had originally been passed out of the Senate. This outcome is positive for MABA members and farmers. It continues strong industry support for stewardship programs, such as the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). Avoiding a fee increase is a common-sense step during a time of economic uncertainty facing agriculture.
PPPM: One of MABA’s top priorities during the budget process was supporting full funding for the MDARD Pesticide and Plant Pest Management (PPPM) function, which carries out regulations governing crop input use, provides critical food-grade export inspections, and more. This line item is fully funded at current year levels in the final budget. We appreciate the listening ear of lawmakers on this topic.
MSU: The Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture and Agriculture Resiliency Program were partially funded versus levels supported by the agricultural industry, and work will continue to support the critical work of MSU in these areas. MABA values the strong partnership with MSU CANR, Extension and AgBioResearch and prioritized these topics during the budget negotiations. We will keep members updated going forward.
Roads: This budget secures $1.5-2 billion in funding for roads in the coming years. This includes enacting a 24% wholesale tax on cannabis and decoupling state and federal tax structures. Additionally a ‘Fuel tax swap’ removes the 6% sales tax on fuel and replaces it with a 20-cents-a-gallon increase in fuel tax. Changing the structure enables sending the entire tax collected to road and bridge maintenance.
EGLE: The budget includes an item requiring EGLE to report the number of permit application appeals filed each fiscal year, as well as the number of applications approved within 30, 60 and 90 days, 6 months and one year after an application is determined administratively complete.
Questions about the budget? Please contact Chuck Lippstreu at MABA.
LANSING, Mich. – Leading Michigan farm and agribusiness organizations today emphasized their strong support for legislation passed by the Michigan Senate that keeps important environmental programs funded and in place for years to come.
Senate Bill (SB) 273, introduced by Senator Kevin Daley and cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 14 Michigan Senators, extends the statutory sunset on key agricultural fees, including fertilizer sales and pesticide registration fees. It ensures the fees will continue to be collected, at their current levels, after the existing sunset date of December 31, 2025.
Leaders of four statewide agriculture organizations issued the following joint statement:
“Safeguarding the land and water in our state is a top priority for Michigan farmers and all those in the agriculture industry, so we strongly support SB 273, which will continue existing industry fees in support of key agricultural stewardship programs.These long-standing fees provide critical support for the statewide, voluntary activities of the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). Nationally recognized as an innovative and proactive program, MAEAP allows farms of all sizes, regardless of commodities, to focus on practices meant to prevent or minimize agricultural pollution risks.At a time when the agriculture industry is navigating substantial economic uncertainty, we are appreciative that SB 273 maintains fees at their current levels, avoiding new costs on Michigan farmers and agricultural businesses.We thank the bipartisan cosponsors of this legislation, especially Senator Kevin Daley and Senator John Cherry, for their engagement with Michigan agriculture and their thoughtful leadership.”
The statement is signed by:
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