Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representatives Marion Berry (AR-01), Vic Snyder (AR-02), and Mike Ross (AR-04) today announced that the Senate and House have passed the Conference Report for the Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which contains funding for Arkansas priorities.
QUOTES
The following are critical state and local priorities for Arkansas included in the bill:
Agriculture Research Service (ARS) Funding
A $1 million increase above the FY09 funding level for the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR for investigations on optimizing the nutrition and health of children from conception through adolescence. (Estimated $6.55 million total)
A continuation at the FY09 funding level for Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center in Booneville, AR to develop scientific principles and technologies that enhance the profitability of small scale farms. ($1.805 million)
A continuation at the FY09 funding level for Rice Research, Dale Bumpers Rice Research Center, Stuttgart, AR (Estimated $3.942 million)
A continuation at the FY09 funding level for the National Center for Agricultural Law at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. ($654,000)
A continuation at the FY09 funding level for Endophyte research at Small Farms in Booneville, AR. ($994,000)
A continuation at the FY09 funding level for the Harry Dupree National Aquaculture Research Center, Stuttgart, AR for research on the genetic improvement of hybrid striped bass. (Estimated $3.52 million)
A continuation at the FY09 funding level for Sorghum Research at Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center in Little Rock. ($135,000, included in ACNC’s $6.55 million total.)
A continuation at the FY09 funding level for the Diet and Immune Function at Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center. (Included in ACNC's $6.55 million total)
A continuation at the FY09 funding level for the Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit at the University of Arkansas. (Estimated $1,771,000)
A continuation at the FY09 funding level for the UAPB Aquaculture/Fisheries Center of Excellence. ($519,000)
$3.937 million for the Delta Obesity Prevention Research Unit, which is to initiate community-involved planning, implement interventions, and initiate research to assess the effects on health and nutrition status in counties throughout the Delta Region. This is a consortium consisting of ARS and six universities located in LA, MS, and AR.
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) Funding
$1 million for the Animal Science Food Safety Consortium (AR, IA, KS) for food safety research and education activities. In Arkansas, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital will benefit.
$775,000 for Institute for Food Science and Engineering at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville for research and education activities to improve the study of food science and human nutrition.
$175,000 for Enhancing Agricultural Profitability and Sustainability through Specialty Crops at the University of Arkansas for research designed to help growers, producers, and processors to develop profitable production systems of specialty crops.
$319,000 for the Center for Integrated Forest Management Strategies at the University of Arkansas in Monticello for forestry research and education activities.
$1,248,000 for Geographic Information Systems. Arkansas is one of eight states that participate in this project.
Rural Development
Rural Cooperative Development
The Committee provides $2.8 million for the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas program.
Rural Community Advancement Program
The Committee awards $2.979 million for grants to the Delta Regional Authority.
Food and Drug Administration
The Committee provides $58,745,000 for the National Center for Toxicological Research in Jefferson County.
