FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2018
Contact: Hannah Packman, 202-554-1600
hpackman@nfudc.org
WASHINGTON – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson today wrote to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, urging him not to reorganize and relocate the department’s Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) agencies. The NFU Board of Directors recently adopted a position against the proposal.
“NFU has long been concerned by reduced investment in public agricultural research,” said Johnson. “Our member-driven policy argues that the reduction in funding for public research and ‘increase in private research has reduced the sharing of information and increased costs of production inputs.’ ERS and NIFA play a key role in helping farmers and ranchers improve productivity, natural resource stewardship, and access to global markets and trade. As the economic and environmental challenges facing family farmers and ranchers mount, it is critical that USDA prioritize the work of the agencies.”
Read the full letter here.
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To download an audio file of Roger Johnson’s quote, visit our website at nfu.org/audio.
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National Farmers Union advocates on behalf of nearly 200,000 American farm families and their communities. We envision a world in which farm families and their communities are respected, valued, and enjoy economic prosperity and social justice.
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