Today, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research held a hearing to review implementation of the research title of the 2008 Farm Bill. Congressman Tim Holden of Pennsylvania chaired today’s hearing, which featured testimony from three witnesses, including Dr. Rajiv Shah, the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

"We expect the changes we made in the 2008 Farm Bill will enhance cooperation and maximize efficiency throughout USDA's research agencies,” Chairman Holden said. “Agricultural research is in high demand, and is an important investment in the future of our food, fiber, and fuel system."

“In developing the research title of the recent farm bill, this Committee spent considerable time working with USDA, the research community, and the beneficiaries of publicly funded research, education and extension programs to enhance the quality, transparency and accountability of these programs,” said Ranking Member Bob Goodlatte of Virginia. “With the implementation deadline October 1st for several significant provisions of the research title, it is particularly timely for this Subcommittee to hear from USDA, the USDA research advisory board, our land grant universities and other constituent groups to update us on these important developments.”

The 2008 Farm Bill made important changes to research and education programs at USDA. It streamlined agricultural research by establishing a National Institute of Food and Agriculture. In addition, the bill created a new premier research program called the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative to meet the growing list of needs in agricultural research, extension, and education for food and agricultural sciences.

 Witnesses:

 Panel I

• Dr. Rajiv Shah, Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.