Since Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue made the sudden announcement last week that the USDA will be relocating the offices of the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, reactions have varied. This week, a coalition of agribusiness interests asked Perdue to keep the agencies in the Washington, D.C. area, while a North Dakota representative made a pitch for Fargo as the new home of the ERS and NIFA.
“The world-class experts at these institutions provide Congress and the Administration with critical insights on policies and investments to improve the productivity and profitability of U.S. farmers, protect our natural resources, and ensure the safety and affordability of our food supply,” wrote Margaret M. Zeigler, executive director of the Global Harvest Initiative, in a statement reported yesterday in The Hagstrom Report. “Improving the efficiency, structure, and collaboration of these institutions is an important goal, but moving these institutions away from the National Capital Region (NCR) could reduce their effectiveness and impact.” The Global Harvest Initiative’s members include DuPont, Monsanto, Smithfield, and John Deere.
Meanwhile, North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer sent a letter to Perdue suggesting that both agencies be relocated to his home state. Cramer cited North Dakota’s agriculture industry (“39.4 million acres — nearly 90 percent of the land area — is in farms and ranches,” he wrote) and Fargo’s land grant university as key draws for the USDA. He also made the case that “North Dakota’s low cost of living offers the potential of significant savings on employment costs and rent.” Perdue has mentioned affordability as a major factor in determining where the ERS and NIFA should be located.