Universities call for increased funding for ag research

Four prominent ag research universities in the Midwest have joined the call for more federal funds supporting food and ag science. Purdue University, Iowa State University, The University of Nebraska at Lincoln and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have joined the Supporters of Agriculture Research Foundation in seeking more research dollars, saying the growing population has demonstrated a need for sustainable food production. Federal spending on ag research has remained flat, even though the USDA says every public dollar invested in ag research provides $20 in economic return.