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ARA Signs Letter to Ag Secretary Vilsack on Increased R&D Investment

Mar 01 2021

ARA signed a letter congratulating the recently confirmed Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack as well as emphasizing the importance of increased public investments in ag research and development (R&D) programs.

ARA and the more than 50 undersigned organizations say that increased funding of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) R&D programs will invest in America's rural communities and give farmers and ranchers the tools needed to manage current and future challenges related to climate change, invasive species, livestock pests and diseases, and more. 

However, the federal share of overall R&D spending as a percentage of GDP is now at its lowest since the 1950s with ag lagging further behind most federal R&D areas.

Read more about how increased R&D program investment will impact the ag retail industry. 

READ LETTER