Ag research deserves priority

Ag research deserves priority

St. Joseph (Mo.) News-Press: The super committee is “struggling.” No surprise there, as 12 members of Congress wrestle with ways to cut the deficit by a remarkable $1.2 trillion over 10 years.

Anyone who ever has made a household budget knows sometimes you have to do without things you really want. It all comes down to identifying priorities. For a family in Missouri or Kansas, the budget priorities usually are headed by housing and food.

It is that same reasoning that prompted a Senate panel to keep agriculture research a priority in the federal budget. The agriculture appropriations subcommittee, chaired by Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, cut overall funding for next year, as nearly all government programs have. But Mr. Blunt noted research is essential for feeding our nation and the world.

This region is home to several animal pharmaceutical firms, as well as the Agriculture Department at Northwest Missouri State Missouri, and we understand the value of investing in research for a payoff years down the road.

Farmers are able to produce far more crops, milk and meat per unit of land than previous generations. Agriculture is one of the few sectors of the economy that enjoys a trade surplus.

Bolstering this industry will benefit our entire regional economy, as well as similar regions around the country.