Little Apple Times

U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann and Kim Schrier, along with Senators Jerry Moran and Mazie Hirono, have reintroduced the AG RESEARCH Act, a bipartisan initiative aimed at enhancing federal investments in land-grant universities and institutions engaged in food and agricultural research. The act targets facilities like Kansas State University and Haskell University.

Rep. Mann emphasized the significant return on investment from agricultural research: “The U.S. sees a $20 return on every dollar we invest in agricultural research, yet funding for these institutions has declined in real dollars over the past two decades.” He highlighted that strong investments in this sector contribute to America's food security and national security.

Rep. Schrier noted the importance of supporting farmers amid challenges such as climate change and increased input costs: “Research institutions are essential for our farmers’ success - they discover solutions to agriculture’s most pressing challenges.”

Sen. Moran underscored the necessity of maintaining top-tier research institutions: “This legislation will support the work at institutions like Kansas State University by allowing them to modernize their facilities.”

Sen. Hirono pointed out the need for financial support due to decades of underinvestment: “Decades of underinvestment have left many of these institutions across our country with significant maintenance backlogs.”

A 2015 study reported $8.4 billion in deferred maintenance at U.S. schools of agriculture, which increased to $11.5 billion by 2021. The AG RESEARCH Act proposes providing $500 million annually over five years in grants, requiring a 1-to-1 match unless waived by the Secretary of Agriculture, ensuring equitable distribution of grants, and capping state allocations at 20%.

The bill is supported by Kansas State University, Haskell University, and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). Kansas State University President Linton remarked that modern facilities drive economic growth while maintaining American leadership in global agriculture innovation.

Dr. Doug Steele from APLU praised the act as transformative for agricultural scientists: "Investment in the Research Facilities Act will be transformative."