Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, has secured funding for a number of agriculture-related research initiatives in the State of Idaho, including several projects at the University of Idaho. The funding is included within the Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill, which will be considered by the House Appropriations Committee tomorrow.
Among its many provisions, the bill includes $8.3 million in funding for efforts to eradicate a Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) outbreak in Idaho’s signature commodity and $349,000 for research at the University of Idaho into preventing the diseases re-occurrence. PCN is a plant pest that can seriously affect potato yields.

“Since it was found back in 2006, Potato Cyst Nematode has posed an unwelcome threat to one of Idaho’s most visible commodities and to the economic livelihood of farmers and communities,” said Simpson. “For that reason, I continue to support the crucial funding included in this bill because it will help eradicate the disease and find ways to ensure it never reappears.”

The bill also includes funding for a variety of research programs important to commodities in the Pacific Northwest and funding for critical wildlife and animal management programs in Idaho and elsewhere. Among its provisions are the following provisions important to Idaho:

·                     Aquaculture Research in Idaho and Washington - $529,000

·                     Barley for Rural Development in Idaho and Montana -- $514,000

·                     Cool Season Legume Research in ID, ND, WA -- $235,000

·                     Increasing Shelf Life of Agricultural Commodities -- $603,000

·                     Potato Research in ID, OR, WA -- $1.037 million

·                     Small Fruit Research in ID, OR, WA -- $307,000

·                     STEEP IV – Water Quality in Northwest -- $444,000

·                     Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee, MT, ID, WY -- $650,000

·                     Nez Perce Bio-Control Center -- $176,000

·                     Tri-State Predator Control Program in ID, MT, WY -- $926,000

“Agriculture research is not only central to the mission of Land Grant Colleges like the University of Idaho, it is critical to the economic vitality of our region’s primary commodities and the jobs those commodities support,” said Simpson. “While federal funding is severely limited and taxpayer resources should be spent with great care, each of these programs has a long history of success and importance to Idaho’s agriculture sector. I am proud to say that each of these programs has a great track record and is worthy of the funding it will receive as a result of this bill.”

After tomorrow’s Committee consideration of the bill, it will head to the floor of the House of Representatives where approval is expected in the next few weeks.