By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – The 2007-08 Maine Potato Board budget was unanimously approved by directors at their June 20 meeting.
According to Donald Flannery, executive director of the MPB, the $1,057,358 budget represents a projected decrease of $36,284.
“That’s what we’re projecting we’ll receive this year from what we’re budgeting,” he said. “If you look at budget to budget, it’s an increase. Last year, we budgeted $1,014,402.
“When I draft the budget, I compare it to what our actual budget was for the year,” said Flannery, “and that gives us a better feeling of where the money comes from and goes.”
Flannery said the 2007-08 budget is based on 1,000 acres less than last year and an average yield.
“Last year, we had a big yield and we received more potato tax than we’re budgeting for next year,” he said. “We’re budgeting about 1,000 acres less planted, and budgeting on an average yield. We budgeted conservatively in regards to the potato tax.”
Twenty-four percent of the budget is for administration, or $289,557, which represents an increase of $7,603.
“Without this part, you can’t do a lot of these other things,” Flannery said of the administrative budget.
In addition, 20 percent of the budget comprises advertising and promotions, or $243,529, while 22 percent ($268,772) goes to general operating expenses. The remaining 34 percent ($421,000) will go toward education and research.
“About four years ago,” Flannery said, “we consciously started looking at our budget … where we were spending our money and where we could be most effective.
“With the change in the marketplace, spending a lot of our money on promotions isn’t ineffective. We made a conscious effort – and this is pretty much the way the budget has been the last two years – to concentrate our money in areas that will benefit the growers the most … research and education,” he said. “The public relations work that we’re doing … letting people know in this state who are setting public policy that the potato industry is important … is part of that education. I think this budget – for the second year – reflects the change in where we see spending our money and getting the biggest bang for our buck.”
Noting that the “lion’s share” of the budget – $421,000 – is geared toward research and education, Flannery said “that’s money that is going back into the industry to provide education to growers and do research that growers have approved and have asked for.”
“We are lucky that we are able to have some additional revenues above the potato tax – grants and profits from the Eastern States Exposition – because if we were to only rely on the potato tax for everything we do,” he said, “our budget would be $600,000. We’ve had up to $1 million in grants in a given year. We supplement our budget very well, and we’re lucky we can do that.”
Also at the recent MPB meeting, Bart Bradbury announced the recipients of the Maine Potato Board scholarships. Each year, the Board awards a limited number of scholarships to deserving graduating seniors who are pursuing a career in agriculture, agri-business or natural resources.
This year, the selection committee chose four outstanding recipients who will each receive a $500 scholarship upon successful completion of their first semester of study.
The 2007 recipients are Brien Boucher of Mapleton, who will be attending the University of Maine at Fort Kent; Jared Buck of Mapleton, who will be attending Northern Maine Community College; Mitchell D. McLaughlin of Fort Fairfield, who will attend Ohio State University – Agricultural Technical Institute; and Isaac Ward of Masardis, who will be attending the University of Maine at Fort Kent.
The next regular Maine Potato Board meeting will be at 2 p.m. Friday, July 20 at the Maine Potato Board Conference Room.
