(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig presented reports for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to an appropriations subcommittee Monday, highlighting the ongoing struggles with the highly pathogenic avian influenza, as well as successes with the Choose Iowa program and conservation efforts.  Naig appeared in front of the Iowa House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee to share information on IDALS’ budget requests for the upcoming fiscal year.

According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, he began with an update for the subcommittee on the ongoing threat of the highly pathogenic avian influenza which jumped from birds to dairy cattle in 2024 and since 2022 has impacted nearly 30 million commercial and backyard birds in Iowa. “It’s just a reminder that, unfortunately, foreign animal disease is a constant threat, a year-round threat,” Naig said. “We need to be staffed and prepared to respond to it.”

The governor’s recommendations for FY 2026 include a $500,000 appropriation to the department for foreign animal disease vaccine development.  Naig highlighted the conservation work of the department in 2024, sharing that Iowa had nearly 4 million acres planted with cover crops and set another “record year” for conservation cost-share programs. “We always say a state dollar doesn’t act alone,” Naig said, noting that “$27.1 million worth of state investment was matched with $41.2 million in private sector dollars.”

Representatives on the subcommittee, and Naig, expressed enthusiasm about the Choose Iowa program, which helps to market and support locally made foods and products. The program has more than 170 members in 72 Iowa Counties and Naig said he hopes to expand to 300 members this year. The Choose Iowa program issued grants for value-added farm products, to dairy innovation and recently the department announced an allocation for butchery innovation. The initiative also had a pilot program aiding local food banks, and beginning this spring, from local schools.

Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids, noted recent moves from the Trump administration to put tariffs on products from Mexico and Canada, both of which have been postponed by a month, and asked Naig how this would affect Iowa farmers. Naig said he is “not a fan” of tariffs in general, but said the president is using the tariffs as a “tool” to support his border and immigration policies.