Step Up to the Plate to Support the IR-4 Program
March 11, 2022 
The IR-4 Project, established in 1963 by USDA, aids specialty crop agriculture by developing data needed to facilitate the registration of crop protection products for fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, ornamental plants, and other horticultural crops. Products supported by IR-4 reduce food waste while maximizing returns to the agriculture community.
Services provided by IR-4 support the specialty crop community and the consumers who enjoy specialty crops on their kitchen tables.
IR-4 Needs Additional Funding
IR-4 Project needs have continued to increase, while federal funding has been flat for more than a decade. Flat funds limit the IR-4 Project’s ability to meet the crop protection needs of farmers and food processors while affecting the ability of the specialty crop food chain to provide quality products. As a result of increased costs, the IR-4 Project has reduced new research efforts by almost 14% over the past three years.
The specialty crop community is asking Congress to increase appropriations for the IR-4 Project in Fiscal Year 2023 from $11.9 million to the Congressionally authorized amount of $25 million.
Funding for the IR-4 Project is included in USDA appropriations in the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Research and Education Section as line-item Minor Crop Pest Management (IR4).
Friends of IR-4 is a newly formed coalition of specialty crop organizations that is working to build support for the IR-4 program.
“We need Congress to increase financial support for the IR-4 Project in Fiscal Year 2023 from $11.9 million to the Congressionally authorized amount of $25 million,” the organization says. “The IR-4 Project is critical to our nation’s food security. It helps the agriculture sector meet the demands for high-quality food now and into the future. It remains a sound public investment that produces significant, tangible results and is worthy of an increased investment in funding.”
To learn more about the IR-4 Project and its activities, click here.
Learn more about Friends of IR-4 by clicking here or emailing [email protected].
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