WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today said North Dakota will expand its agriculture research leadership under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reorganization plan. Specifically, North Dakota will gain 45 additional Agricultural Research Service (ARS) employees and 10 new research projects totaling approximately $28.5 million in annual research that will be reassigned from Maryland’s Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). Hoeven has been working to ensure that USDA utilizes the state’s agriculture research expertise as part of the department’s plan to relocate its services closer to farmers, ranchers and rural communities. Hoeven hosted USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and Under Secretary for Agriculture Research, Education and Economics Scott Hutchins in North Dakota to showcase the state’s ag leadership as the department developed its reorganization plans.
USDA’s reorganization will include moving two research projects totaling $3.8 million and 17 ARS employees to Fargo. Meanwhile, Grand Forks will receive 8 new research projects totaling $24.7 million and 28 ARS employees.
“With North Dakota State University, the University of North Dakota, Grand Farm, and our existing ARS facilities, North Dakota is already a premier agriculture research hub, so it only makes sense that USDA would bring new, ongoing research projects and additional ARS employees to our state as part of efforts to refocus USDA on its core missions,” said Hoeven. “We appreciate Secretary Rollins for recognizing North Dakota’s ag research leadership and utilizing our state more fully in USDA’s work. USDA’s reorganization plan will expand North Dakota’s ag research leadership and keep our state at the forefront in helping our agriculture producers increase their productivity and success.”
Today’s announcement builds on Hoeven’s work to build North Dakota into the premier agriculture research location. Earlier this month, Hoeven announced that North Dakota’s Grand Farm will serve as the National Program Manager for USDA’s National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech (NPG-Ag). Beginning in 2024, Hoeven secured funding to create the Agriculture Risk Policy Center at NDSU to make the university one of the leading resources for policy research in the nation.
