Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-04) made the following statement in response to the announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that it would be relocating its Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to the Kansas City region.

“Today’s decision is a testament to the wonderful attributes of the Heartland and reflects the hard work of our local Congressional representatives and members of the Kansas City community who did an excellent job highlighting the benefits of relocating these jobs to our area,” said Hartzler, a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee. “Housing these important agencies in the Heartland will locate them closer to stakeholders, and Kansas City has a low cost of living and a highly qualified workforce. The region is well suited for this honor. We are elated to hear that Kansas City was selected as the new home for ERS and NIFA.”

Rep. Hartzler, who has been an aggressive advocate for the relocation to Kansas City, has testified in multiple House Agriculture Committee hearings about the advantages of the region. Her advocacy for the relocation also entailed working with the USDA to highlight the merits of the region in an effort to facilitate this move.

The Economic Research Service (ERS), the first of the two agencies to be relocated, anticipates trends and emerging issues in agriculture and trade, food and nutrition, the environment, and rural economies to provide economic research to inform program administrators, other federal agencies, Congress, farm groups, and state and local governments.

The second agency, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), administers federal funding to address the agricultural issues impacting people’s daily lives and the nation’s future. NIFA works to ensure scientific discoveries reach the people who can put them to use. Through partnerships with the Land-Grant University System and government, private, and non-profit organizations, NIFA’s research, education, and extension programs are able to provide solutions directly to farmers, classrooms and communities.

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