The Department of Natural Resources currently handles Alaskan ag issues
A U.S. state without its own department of agriculture may have one in 2025.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy will introduce an executive order in January to establish the Alaska Department of Agriculture.
Ag issues in the state are currently handled by the Department of Natural Resources.
Alaska currently imports about 95 percent of its food products.
And the pandemic signaled that Alaska needs to take its food security seriously.
“The COVID pandemic was a wakeup call. It revealed how much Alaska had become dependent on functioning supply chains and how quickly a disruption at West Coast ports could wreak havoc in Alaska,” the governor said in a statement. “The Department of Agriculture’s mission will be to provide expert support for new and established farmers and ranchers and administer programs that improve Alaska’s food security. This will also grow the state’s economy with new jobs and commercial activity. I look forward to working with lawmakers in the upcoming session on this plan for future economic growth and greater food security for all Alaskans.”
This also means Alaska will have a Secretary or Commissioner of Agriculture, responsible for a departmental budget, and to advocate for farmers in the legislature.
Alaskan agriculture generated more than $90 million in sales in 2022.
Aquaculture led the way with more than $43 million, followed by nursery and greenhouses with more than $21 million in sales, data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture says.
Livestock sales contributed another $3.6 million, and grain production had almost $1 million in sales.
The number of farms in Alaska is increasing.
In 1992, the state had 512 farms.
The number of farms counted in the 2022 Census of Agriculture was 1,173.
That means in 30 years, the number of farms in Alaska increased by 661, or by 129 percent.
Gov. Dunleavy plans to introduce his executive order on Jan. 21.
Should it receive the necessary support, the Alaska Department of Agriculture will be official on July 1, 2025.