Hoeven secures funds to boost North Dakota’s standing in agriculture research

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) held a roundtable discussion in Fargo, N.D., on Tuesday to discuss funding he secured to support North Dakota’s role as a leader in agriculture research, particularly through helping establish a new agriculture policy research center at North Dakota State University (NDSU).

“Exciting developments are happening across North Dakota to the benefit of producers not only in our state but across the U.S.,” said Sen. Hoeven, the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

During the roundtable with leaders from NDSU, Grand Farm, and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Sen. Hoeven outlined provisions that he authored that were approved as part of the fiscal year 2024 agriculture funding bill in Congress.

The new agriculture policy research center at NDSU will receive $2 million through the Office of the Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and will help address farm and agribusiness challenges through policy and economic analysis.

“The $2 million we secured for a new ag research policy center at NDSU will help ensure that local, Midwestern expertise is guiding policymakers in Washington,” Sen. Hoeven said.

The senator also said he helped secure more than $50 million for high-priority agriculture research initiatives throughout North Dakota, which will strengthen crop genetics, prevent disease, improve yields, and reduce costs for producers. 

“Importantly, this includes increased funding for the Grand Farm-NDSU-ARS partnership, which supports our state’s leadership in the next generation of precision agriculture technology and complements project’s like NDSU’s FARMS partnership,” the senator said.

The NDSU-led FARMS partnership that Sen. Hoeven worked to advance is receiving up to $160 million over 10 years under the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program.