USDA Research, Forest Service Facing Cuts Under President ' s Budget

Under the President’s Budget Request, which was released on February 10, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would operate at $23.4 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2021, $3.8 billion below the level enacted by Congress for FY 2020. The proposed budget for research, education, and economics at USDA is $3.2 billion, 4.4 percent below the FY 2020 level. The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) conducts intramural research in the areas of natural and biological science. It would receive $1.4 billion in FY 2021, $189 million below FY 2020. Funding for seven out of eight research areas within ARS would decrease, resulting in an overall budget of $1.2 billion (-$46 million). Research on livestock protection would increase by 3.4 percent. Research in support of environmental stewardship would receive $229 million (-$3 million). The request includes an increase of $35 million for new precision agriculture initiatives related to automation and data management; artificial intelligence innovations for agricultural production; long-term agroecosystems research; and management of excess water and erosion. The budget would provide a $15 million increase to an overall funding of $81 million for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), which replaces the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. This includes $23 million for operations and maintenance of the NBAF, which is a biocontainment facility for the study of foreign, emerging, and zoonotic animal diseases that pose a ...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news