Gov. Kay Ivey signed a $2 billion General Fund (GF) budget Thursday, including important funding for agriculture and forestry.

The GF budget fully funds the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) program at the Alabama Department of Environmental Management at $575,000. It also includes $81,403 in matching funds to help Alabama expand on-farm irrigation through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries was funded at $12 million, including $3 million for the Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) program. The Alabama Forestry Commission was level funded at $7.6 million.

The budget includes a 3 percent pay raise for state employees and increases funding for prisons, hiring state troopers and the Department of Mental Health.