USDA's Perdue Lays Out NIFA/ERS Move Timeline

USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue sought to reassure top ag lawmakers about USDA’s plan to relocate the Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) out of Washington.A six-page letter to Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts. R-Kan., and ranking member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., responds to questions from the two senators about USDA’s proposal.Regarding the lack of cost/benefit analysis, Perdue said there is not enough data yet to project how many staffers will leave, but said USDA will pursue a “focused hiring effort” between June and December 2019 to re-fill those positions. Perdue dismissed criticisms that moving ERS from an independent research arm to under the Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) would make it vulnerable to political influence.“We are confident that ERS will remain a trusted and objective source of information for the food and agricultural sector and provide policy relevant analyses with better coordination within OCE,” he wrote.USDA wants to choose the new locations by January and open them by June. Potential sites have until October 15 to let USDA know they are interested.