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Individuals, firms or organizations may specify that funds | contributed to this account may be used to initiate projects | affecting specific commodities. |
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| | At the discretion of the commissioner, unused designated grant | dollars from the previous fiscal year, not to exceed $250,000, | may be added to available grant funds in the current fiscal year. |
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| | The commissioner, the Director of the Agricultural Experiment | Station and the Director of the Cooperative Extension Service and | the Agriculture Development Committee shall, on an annual basis, | review the effectiveness of the programs operated under the | provisions of this chapter in facilitating the introduction of | new technologies for Maine agricultural operations. |
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| | Sec. 6. 7 MRSA §401-D, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 444, is repealed. |
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| | Sec. 7. 7 MRSA §436, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 658, §1, is amended | to read: |
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| §436. Grants for technical assistance and research |
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| | The commissioner may use all or a portion of the accrued | interest in the cash balance of the fund Agrcicultural Marketing | Loan Fund and interest portion of loan repayments, up to a | maximum of $150,000 $250,000 per year, for grants for technical | assistance and for the research programs identified in the | technology transfer program in chapter 10, and the Agricultural | Market Research and Development Fund established in section 401- | D, for the purposes of supporting adoption of new and innovative | technology to support agricultural production and marketing the | agricultural development grant program in chapter 10. |
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| | This bill consolidates administration of existing agricultural | market and production development grant programs including the | Agricultural Marketing Loan Fund, technology transfer and special | research projects program and the market research and development | grant program. The bill combines all of these programs into one | comprehensive agricultural development grant program that will | include all the elements of the individual grant programs, add a | market promotion eligibility |
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