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Cornerstone Report from Washington Vol. 10, No. 1 – February 13, 2012
President’s Budget Request for FY 2013 Released
The President’s Budget Request for FY 2013 was released this morning and proposes a slight increase in funding for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The Budget and Advocacy Committee (BAC) of the Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA) meets on Wednesday and Thursday of this week to finalize the BAA’s FY 2013 NIFA requests and the President’s Budget will play in role in that decision-making. We will keep you apprised of the BAC’s decisions and post additional information on our web site: www.land-grant.org.
As you can see from this table, the President’s Budget would increase the three major components of the NIFA budget by approximately $36.5 million compared to FY 2012. In addition to numerous adjustments, the Budget Request would establish three new NIFA initiatives, which are described as follows:
1. Crop Protection Program. “This program supports projects that respond to pest management challenges with coordinated region wide and national research, education, and extension programs, and serves as a catalyst for promoting further development and use of integrated pest management approaches. The program also fosters regional and national team building efforts, communication networks, and enhanced stakeholder participation. The 2013 Budget includes $29.1 million, which reflects combined pest management funding transferred from Research and Education and Extension Activities.”
2. Sustainable Agriculture Federal-State Matching Grant Program. “This Federal-State matching grant program will assist in the creation or enhancement of State sustainable research, extension, and education programs. The matching requirement will leverage State and/or private funds, and build the long-term capacity to guide the evolution of American agriculture to a more highly productive, sustainable system. The 2013 Budget includes$3.5 million.”
3. Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities Endowment Fund. “This endowment fund for Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities will launch the production of skilled and marketable Hispanic student population for employment in the food and agriculture sector. Over the next ten years, the Endowment will lead to significant and measurable enhanced competence and marketability of Hispanic students in the food and agricultural sciences. The 2013 Budget includes $10 million for this proposed fund.”
The Cornerstone Team |
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