AGENCY RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY
Printable Adobe PDF version
AGENCY RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY:
Dozens of food and
agriculture organizations join with Washington State University to support a
$10.8 million proposal to add critical scientific capacity to WSU’s efforts
directed at increasing the economic viability and sustainability of Washington’s
food and agriculture industries through strategic investment in research and
education.
This request is
coupled with internal reallocations, federal contracts, and private funding
aimed at developing technological solutions to assure that this $29 billion
industry remains viable, globally competitive and environmentally sustainable.
|
|
2007-08 |
|
2008-09 |
|
2007-09 |
|
By Fund |
FTE |
Dollars |
|
FTE |
Dollars |
|
Biennium |
|
General Fund
State |
42.3 |
3,960,000 |
|
74.0 |
6,866,000 |
|
10,826,000 |
|
Total |
42.3 |
$3,960,000 |
|
74.0 |
$6,866,000 |
|
$10,826,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PACKAGE DESCRIPTION:
The proposal reflects the results of a
comprehensive dialogue with the state’s food and agriculture industry concerning
their needs to remain competitive in a global agricultural economy. Under the
direction of a new agriculture dean, Dan Bernardo, and with the full support of
President Lane Rawlins, Washington State University hosted more than 50
intensive meetings around the state with key industry leaders, producer
associations, commodity commissions, and other stakeholder groups. At these
meetings, WSU outlined relevant portions of its agriculture research and
extension activities and listened to industry critiques of its programs and
budget allocations. Industry representatives identified critical gaps in current
research and outreach efforts that needed to be addressed through budget
reallocation, federal grants, industry funding, and, as a last resort, new state
funding.
The university has responded by
reallocating 23 faculty positions into high priority areas such as biofuels,
horticultural genomics, international trade, food safety, value-added food
processing, and irrigation management. State commodity commissions contribute
over $4 million annually to support food and agriculture research at WSU, and
WSU faculty earn over $40 million annually from external grants and contracts to
support food and agricultural research and outreach activities.
Washington
State University,
in cooperation with dozens of agricultural organizations throughout the state,
requests $10.8 million to fund critical research that cannot be covered with
existing, federal, state or private funding sources.
The proposed
investment in food and agriculture research and education will conservatively
result in $250 million of economic benefits over the next few years, and will
generate significantly more income in the longer run as research investments
generate new technologies that are adopted by industry participants. The
requested funds target three critical areas of need:
1. Faculty and staff positions to address
critical and emerging issues facing Washington’s food and agriculture industry
($4.1 million annually). Twenty-four new faculty positions are requested to
fill major gaps in research and extension teams. In many cases, faculty
positions were considered the most critical gaps; thirty-six support staff are
also included in the request. These priority faculty and staff positions fall
under two overarching themes – value-added agricultural products and
economically and environmentally sustainable food production systems – comprised
of seven focus areas. Over the past year, significant reallocation of existing
resources has occurred, resulting in the hiring (or currently in the process of
hiring) of 23 faculty positions into these strategic areas. The new positions
proposed represent additional positions identified by WSU and industry partners
necessary to develop viable research and extension teams to address issues in
these high priority areas.
2. Operating support for the
university’s research and extension centers located throughout the state.
Research and extension centers include the Irrigated Agriculture Research and
Extension Center located in Prosser, the Tree Fruit Research and Extension
Center in Wenatchee, the Northwest Washington Research and Extension Center in
Mount Vernon, and the Puyallup Research and Extension Center. Six additional
research farms, as well as the Pullman Research Station, are located in eastern
Washington. A total of $1.3 million is requested to support operation and
maintenance of these facilities. Annual operating funds of $280,000 also are
requested to operate and maintain a state-of-the-art research orchard recently
purchased by WSU near Wenatchee and being developed in partnership with the tree
fruit industry.
3. $1.4 million annually to implement two
internal competitive grant pools advised by industry leaders to enable greater
responsiveness to emerging research and outreach needs.
The first fund ($1 million annually)
would be allocated to WSU faculty through a competitive process administered by
the WSU Agricultural Research Center and WSU Extension. To assure that funds are
allocated to issues of greatest relevance to the state, priorities for this
internal grant competition would be established by an advisory board comprised
of representatives from the food and agriculture industry (e.g., producers,
agribusiness representatives, consumers). Selection of projects for funding also
would involve review and input from the industry advisory board. Projects would
be required to be interdisciplinary, outcome oriented, and include an outreach
component to assure that research results have an immediate impact on the state.
A second competitive grant pool would be
administered in the area of Biological Intensive and Organic Agriculture
(BIOAg). “Biologically
intensive agriculture” refers to the use of biological approaches that work in
concert with natural systems to maximize on-farm resource management and
minimize off-farm impacts. WSU requested $800,000 for the BIOAg program during
the 2006 legislative session, and received $400,000. The competitive grants
portion of the program was reduced drastically as a result of this reduced level
of funding. This additional funding will be used to conduct research, outreach,
and demonstration projects in areas such as biofuels and bioproducts, organic
agriculture, sustainable production systems, and greenhouse gas mitigation.
In addition, agricultural organizations
and the university made recommendations for three new positions in the areas of
Biofuels and Bioproducts, which is part of a separate budget request requested
by WSU, partnered with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Washington
State Department of Agriculture.
NARRATIVE JUSTIFICATION AND IMPACT STATEMENT:
Background:
The state’s $29 billion food and
agriculture industry contributes 13 percent to the state’s economy, including
more than $6 billion of annual farm gate value. The food and agriculture
industry employs more than 170,000 people in every corner of the state, making
it Washington’s No. 1 employer. More than 250 commodities are produced
commercially in the state, making Washington’s agricultural economy the second
most diverse in the nation.
A unique combination of human and
physical resources, knit together with science and technology, has made this
industry a success. Today, however, agriculture is challenged as never before.
Forces such as globalization, high energy costs, reduced labor availability, and
environmental pressures all threaten to compromise Washington’s position as a
leading agriculture state. We can meet this challenge by refocusing on
innovative science and technology that enables a more profitable and sustainable
harnessing of the region’s human and physical resources.
Historically, federal funds have not been
readily available to address applied, regionally focused food and agriculture
programs. Private funds are already being utilized, as state agricultural
commodity commissions currently provide over $4 million annually to support WSU
food and agriculture programs.
Despite its expansive and highly diverse
agricultural sector, Washington is 28th in the nation in state
appropriations for agricultural research and extension. In addition, despite
aggressive reallocation of existing resources, critical gaps remain in research
and education activities that will be addressed with this request.
The industry listening sessions and
meetings revealed dramatic program gaps needed to better serve the industry.
They also provided many suggestions about how to better serve the industry
through improved communication, greater industry interaction, enhanced
integration, and additional partnerships. WSU has implemented many of these
suggested changes over the past year, resulting in significant improvements in
the partnership between WSU and the food and agriculture industry. Faculty
positions and resources also have been reallocated to areas of priority
identified by this external priority setting exercise.
This budget request, representing
substantial unanimity among a very diverse agricultural industry, is a unified
state budget request after reallocations. Agricultural leaders meeting with
Dean Bernardo and President Lane Rawlins at Snoqualmie Pass on July 19 finalized
this request for funding, emphasizing positions that could serve multiple
commodities and interests through:
-
value-added agricultural product
development,
-
food processing and technology,
-
plant breeding and genomics,
-
value-added business development and
economics, and
-
sustainable crop and livestock
production systems.
The $6.87 million in 2007-08 is requested
as annual base funding to be included in future biennia.
Problems Addressed By This Request:
SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1This
request reflects the food and agriculture industry’s collective input as to
funding priorities for WSU to provide the research and education leadership in
transforming the state’s food and agriculture industry. The following issues
were identified as of utmost priority by the industry and are addressed
specifically through the requested positions.
Many Washington-grown products are
shipped overseas, with little value-added manufacturing occurring within the
state that could produce more jobs and boost the economy.
·
A food technologist is
needed to provide critical research and educational programs focused on
developing new products from Washington-produced wheat and other grains.
·
An enologist and a
statewide Viticulture and Enology Program Leader will provide critical capacity
in continuing to serve the state’s rapidly expanding wine industry.
·
A position focused on the
value of health and nutritional characteristics and consumer preferences for
food products will provide critical input to industry and research programs
aimed at increasing the value of Washington-grown food products.
The non-instructional cuts in state
funding during the 1990s took a disproportionate toll on WSU’s horticulture
programs, compromising the capacity of Washington’s tree fruit industry to
compete globally. New horticultural crop varieties, bred for Washington State’s
unique climate and consumer demands, are necessary.
·
Two new positions focused
on horticultural crop breeding are needed to connect Washington’s tree fruit
industry to a university that is emerging as a global leader in horticultural
genetics.
-
A functional genomics researcher
located in Wenatchee will help develop tree fruit varieties with
characteristics demanded by domestic and international consumers.
-
A stone fruit breeder co-located
in Prosser and Wenatchee will build on recent progress reinvigorating
WSU’s cherry breeding program.
Additional support for small business
entrepreneurship is needed to drive economic
prosperity. More support for economic analysis of alternative productions
systems, crop enterprises, marketing opportunities, and value-added ventures is
needed.
-
SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Two
value-added business development extension specialists (one located in
Puyallup and one located in Wenatchee) will provide educational programming
to individuals and producer groups interested in evaluating and implementing
value-added ventures. These positions will be added to a similar position
recently placed in Mount Vernon.
-
An economist working within the BIOAg
program will provide critical analysis in the assessment of emerging
industries such as biofuels and bioproducts, as well as evaluate the
profitability of alternative production systems.
-
A crop and horticulture economics
position will conduct economic and market research to enhance production and
processing efficiencies in the state’s horticulture industry.
Livestock production, particularly dairy,
is one of the fastest growing sectors of the state’s agricultural economy.
However, several critical gaps exist in current research and outreach programs
aimed at increasing the productivity of this industry.
·
Two livestock nutrition and
management positions, one located in northwestern Washington and one in eastern
Washington, will provide applied research and extension programming to dairy,
beef, sheep and other livestock producers in these regions.
·
A large animal veterinary
clinician located in Pullman will address a critical need of the livestock
industry – the development of more large animal veterinarians to serve the
state’s growing livestock industry.
·
A veterinary outreach
specialist located in central Washington is needed to provide extension
programming to livestock producers in the region.
·
A livestock reproduction
researcher will conduct research to improve reproductive efficiency within
Washington livestock enterprises.
·
A livestock production
specialist is needed to provide statewide research and extension programming on
grazing management.
Pests continue to negatively impact
Washington crops, yet much of this damage could be avoided with research and
diagnostic capabilities.
·
A plant and insect
diagnostic lab dedicated to serve central and eastern Washington will provide
one-on-one assistance in the identification of home and commercial pests.
·
An integrated pest
management specialist will conduct applied research to increase the efficiency
of the irrigated vegetable industry in central and western Washington.
·
A dryland cropping systems
scientist will provide research and educational programs focused on eastern
Washington’s intermediate rainfall areas.
Federal and state labor policies have
created significant challenges for many of the state’s agricultural producers.
In some cases, labor is not available, and when it is, it costs relatively more
than in competing states and nations.
·
Two positions (one located
in Prosser and one in Pullman) are proposed in the areas of automation and
mechanization to spur the development of new technologies aimed at reducing farm
labor requirements and enhancing farm worker safety.
The management environment faced by
agricultural producers continues to increase in complexity and requires
state-of-the-art decision tools which incorporate all available data and
research information.
·
Funds are requested to hire
information specialists and related resources to develop an information network
and electronic decision tools that will maximize the utilization of all
available research information by Washington agricultural producers.
Operating viable agricultural enterprises
while protecting the environment and the state’s natural resources is critical
challenge to assuring the sustainability of agricultural production in
Washington State.
Several of the positions described above
will be integrally involved in research and outreach programs aimed at
mitigating the impacts of agricultural production on land, water, and air
quality. Four additional requests will focus directly on protecting the state’s
natural resources.
·
A water resource specialist
located at WSU’s Northwest Washington Research and Extension Center in Mount
Vernon will work in western Washington to improve water quality, enhance salmon
habitat, and increase the profitability of western Washington farming
operations.
·
Compliance with
increasingly stringent federal and state air pollution regulations pose both
economic and technical challenges to agricultural operations. An air quality
management specialist located in Pullman will provide research on best
management and production practices to mitigate air pollutant emissions from
agricultural sources.
·
The WSU Environmental
Horticulture Program addresses areas such as water conservation, recycled
organic materials, and stress and pest resistant trees for modern landscapes. A
faculty position is proposed in Puyallup to add capacity to this program and
provide an additional person to deliver the turf and landscape industry’s No. 1
priority for WSU – continuing education courses and a four year degree in
western Washington
·
Operating funds are
requested for the WSU Salmon Recovery Lab located at the Puyallup Research and
Extension Center. This state-of-the-art lab examines the effects of pesticides
on salmon behavior, growth, and development. Reductions in federal funding to
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have threatened the lab’s
continued operation.
Predicted Outcomes:
SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1This
investment in research and education will enhance the economic vitality and
sustainability of Washington’s food, fiber, and agricultural industries,
resulting in increased global competitiveness through improved product quality
and reduced costs, development of high-value uses for agricultural products,
enhanced protection of the environment, and rural economic development. The
proposed investment in food and agriculture research and education will
conservatively result in $250 million of economic benefits to the state of
Washington over the next several years, and will generate significantly more
income in the longer run as research investments generate new technologies that
are adopted by industry participants. This estimate was derived by identifying
practices and technologies anticipated to be developed from these investments in
research and outreach and estimating the additional revenue and/or reduced cost
from their adoption. Secondary benefits are estimated using conservative
multiplier estimates from economic impact models.
The following potential outcomes have
been identified as likely results of this request coupled with additional
funding from other sources.
Outcome 1. Development of high-value
uses for Washington-grown agricultural products, leading to income and
employment growth.
-
Development of new value-added
products and processes for wheat and other small grains will increase the
percentage of wheat processed within the state and increase the
marketability of Washington-grown wheat.
-
Through enology research and
education, the percentage of Washington wines demonstrating high-quality
characteristics will increase, thus preserving the state’s premium wine
image and catalyzing further growth of this industry.
-
New varieties of apples, cherries and
other horticultural crops will be developed that are uniquely suited to
Washington’s climate and growing conditions.
-
Research and education programs
focusing on value-added business development will lead to an increase in the
number and rate of success of new business ventures involving value-added
agricultural products.
-
Research and education programs
focused on community supported agriculture, farmers markets, and other
evolving marketing systems, will provide alternative and profitable food
supply chains for Washington producers.
-
Improved understanding of the health
and nutritional characteristics of food products will provide critical
information to the industry in meeting consumer demands and adding value to
Washington products.
Outcome 2. Increased global
competitiveness through improved product quality and reduced costs.
-
The introduction of new cropping
systems and practices in dryland production regions will increase the
economic viability of farmers in central and eastern Washington.
-
Improved plant diagnostic
capabilities will reduce yield loss from devastating insects and plant
diseases.
-
Research and development of
automation and mechanization technologies for Washington’s horticultural
industry will result in substantial reductions in production costs and
increased farm worker safety.
-
Providing new grazing strategies and
land management approaches to the livestock industry, will increase the
efficiency and long-term viability of dairy, cattle, and other livestock
industries within the state.
-
Veterinary research and outreach will
improve the health of the state’s livestock, leading to increased
efficiency, profitability, and growth of these enterprises.
-
Research and education on alternative
crops will provide growers with new crops to introduce into their
operations, resulting in enhanced profitability and enterprise
diversification.
-
Highly trained human capital will be
added in high-demand areas such as advanced biological sciences, viticulture
and enology, urban and environmental horticulture, and food science and
engineering.
-
New electronic decision tools will be
made available to Washington agricultural producers to improve their on-farm
management related to nutrient use, pest control, and irrigation management.
Outcome 3. Improved environmental
quality through mitigation of the impacts of agricultural production on land,
water, and air quality.
-
Reducing soil erosion through direct
seeding and other dryland production practices will prevent wind and water
caused soil loss.
-
“Biologically intensive and organic
agriculture” research and education programs will provide economically
viable alternatives for producers opting for lower input, sustainable
production systems.
-
Improved management of animal wastes
will reduce the potential contamination of surface and groundwater
resources.
-
Introduction of new biological pest
control methods will reduce the use of pesticides and reduce costs of
production for the state’s agricultural producers.
-
Research focusing on the mitigation
of air pollutant emissions through on-farm management practices will improve
air quality in areas affected by agricultural production.
-
On-farm best management practices
will be developed to improve water quality, enhance salmon habitat, and
increase the profitability of farming operations.
-
Research findings on the effect of
pesticides on salmon behavior and development will provide critical science
to be used in the development of policies to improve salmon habitat.
Washington State
University proposes biennial reports to the governor and the Washington
Legislature on the progress this partnership has made on this budget request,
including performance measured against these short-term and long-term outcomes.
An Office of Assessment will be developed to develop rigorous assessment of the
impact of WSU food and agriculture research and outreach on the outcomes listed
above, as well as income, employment, technology adoption, and environmental
quality.
FISCAL DETAIL TABLES –
INDUSTRY-BASED UNIFIED AGRICULTURE INITIATIVE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2007-08 |
|
2008-09 |
|
2007-09 |
|
By
Program |
FTE |
Dollars |
|
FTE |
Dollars |
|
Biennium |
|
Instruction |
0.6
|
120,000 |
|
2.3
|
400,000 |
|
520,000 |
|
Research |
24.6
|
2,288,000 |
|
42.0
|
3,748,000 |
|
6,036,000 |
|
Public Service |
17.1
|
1,552,000 |
|
29.7
|
2,718,000 |
|
4,270,000 |
|
Total |
42.3
|
$3,960,000 |
|
74.0
|
$6,866,000 |
|
$10,826,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By Object |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Salaries |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Faculty |
9.0
|
610,000 |
|
24.0
|
1,710,000 |
|
2,320,000 |
|
A/P |
22.8
|
935,000 |
|
29.5
|
1,213,000 |
|
2,148,000 |
|
TA/GA |
8.2
|
330,000 |
|
13.9
|
555,000 |
|
885,000 |
|
Classified |
2.3 |
80,000 |
|
6.6
|
230,000 |
|
310,000 |
|
Benefits |
|
525,000 |
|
|
1,202,000 |
|
1,727,000 |
|
Goods/Services |
|
1,386,000 |
|
|
1,790,000 |
|
3,176,000 |
|
Travel |
|
94,000 |
|
|
166,000 |
|
260,000 |
|
Equipment |
|
|
|
|
- |
|
-
|
|
Total |
42.3
|
$3,960,000 |
|
74.0
|
$6,866,000 |
|
$10,826,000 |
