Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Boost Agriculture Research
News Date March 26, 2007
Sens. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) on March 23 introduced legislation to boost the federal investment in agricultural research. The bill would implement recommendations from USDA's Research, Education and Economics task force established in the 2002 farm bill.
The legislation would create a National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to provide additional funds for competitive agriculture research grants. It would provide $3.44 billion in federal funds over the next five years. The NIFA would be similar to the successful research programs at the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. NIFA would not replace USDA's current research, extension, and education programs.
Harkin noted that funding for food and agriculture research has faced significant cuts over the years, and this bill is designed to "help put us back on track to leading the world with the best technology that will keep America's farmers and food and agriculture sector, and rural communities the most productive in the world." (Contact: Charlie Ingram)