Ag News
Bishop, Loeffler announce USDA funding for ag research
Posted on Oct 28, 2020 at 0:00 AM
Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga. 2nd District) and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) each announced funding for Georgia agricultural research.
On Oct. 16, Bishop, chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, provided funding for pecan and peanut research in the FY2021 Agriculture Appropriations bill.
The bill included 1.5 million for research on pecan cracking and pasteurization technology, $1.5 million for pecan breeding and genetics research and $1.51 million for aflatoxin research at the ARS Peanut Lab in Dawson and Fort Valley State University.
“One of the most important things to me as the agriculture appropriations chairman is making sure the crops we grow here in Georgia continue their massive contributions to our local, state, and national economies while also feeding our citizens nutritious food,” Bishop said. “Pecans and peanuts are very healthy and are also two of our largest agricultural exports as a state.”
On Oct. 22, Loeffler, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, announced the University of Georgia will be receiving $323,834 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to research and improve crop protection and pest management. The grant will allow UGA to study and develop tools to resist the diamondback moth, which causes severe damage to crops in Georgia’s agriculture regions.
“Farmers are the backbone of Georgia and this nation, and they deserve all the help and resources they can get to ensure their crops are protected,” Loeffler said. “I applaud USDA for awarding UGA with this grant, which will bolster its premier agriculture research program – which is already a leader in the nation – and help safeguard Georgia crops from the diamondback moth and other threats for years to come.”
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