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 info@ir4friends.org.