WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today announced that he secured more than $11 million in federal funds for Missouri agriculture projects.

“Investing time and money in our farmers, producers, and institutions is an investment in our rural communities and will keep Missouri on the cutting edge of agriculture science,” said Bond. “Today’s committee approval is an important step. I will continue to use my position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to bring our tax dollars back home to fund Missouri priorities.”

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Bond secured the funds for Missouri agriculture in the fiscal year 2008 Agriculture Appropriations bill, which passed the full Senate Appropriations Committee today. Before being signed into law the bill must be passed by the full Senate and reconciled with the House of Representatives version.

• $3 million for the National Plant and Genetics Security Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia. These funds were requested by Congressman Kenny Hulshof as well. Funds will be used to modernize the USDA-ARS laboratories. Bond secured $5 million for this project in the previous fiscal year.

• $2.5 million for Missouri Watershed Projects. Funds will be used to complete the next phase of critical flood control projects as determined by the NRCS Missouri office.

• $1.16 million for the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute Core Grant at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Funds will be used to provide analysis of agricultural policy alternatives to Congress, rural communities and regions with programs and information necessary to find a balance between environmental concerns and economic viability. Bond secured $1.59 for this project in the previous fiscal year.

• $1.050 million for Soybean Genetics at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Funds will be used to develop crop plants that are genetically enhanced with increased/altered levels of micronutrients; and the quality of proteins and oils with goal to enhance the market value of the crop.

• $987,000- National Center for Soybean Biotechnology-University of Missouri-Columbia- to support the National Center for Soybean Biotechnology, which conducts research to increase profitability for farmers and produce soybeans with health and nutritional benefits for consumers. Bond secured almost a $1 million in federal funds for this project in previous fiscal years.

• $840,000 for the Virtual Plant Database Initiative at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Funds will be used to improve access analysis, and management of critical botanical information for botanists, other scientists and users of plant data world wide and to enhance access to the data that can be used for conservation programs, ecosystem monitoring, sustainable development projects, and law enforcement.

• $707,706 for the Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Funds will be used to research viable alternative production and protection options to help revitalize the economic and environmental health of rural farms and communities in Missouri and surrounding states.

• $692,377 for Mid-West/ Mid-South irrigation at the University of Missouri Delta Research Center. Funds will be used to help Missouri farmers adopt better irrigation practices.

• $500,000 for Agriculture Literacy: Bridging the Gap a program of Farm Bureau. Funds will be used to maximize the delivery of agricultural messages to educators and students K-12.

• $47,139 for the Watershed Research Assessment Stewardship Project (WRASP), Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), & Stewardship Implementation (SIP). Funds will be used for an ongoing, national, multi-agency effort to study the environmental effects and cost- effectiveness of federal conservation programs with a focus on implementing agronomic Best Management Practices to improve water quality. Bond secured $425,000 in funds for this project is fiscal year 2006.

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