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High Plains Journal

The Greater Kansas region was named one of three finalists to become a site for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Service and Economic Research Service, according to a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture.

“After months of advocating to Secretary (Sonny) Perdue that these agencies ought to be in the Kansas City area, I’m pleased to see USDA listed Kansas City as a finalist to be the headquarters of these critical agencies. Kansas City is home to a highly skilled workforce as a result of the state’s premier universities, research institutions, agricultural companies, and industry producer groups, and I am thrilled that it’s a finalist for USDA’s ERS and NIFA,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-KS in a news release filed on May 3. “The animal health corridor, stretching from Manhattan, Kansas, to Columbia, Missouri, is the largest concentration of animal health companies in the world; our state is also the future home of the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility, the nation’s foremost animal disease research facility.”

“The concentration of animal health companies and location of NBAF will not only complement the research capabilities of NIFA and ERS, but have also fostered a talented workforce that will help meet the personnel needs of USDA,” he said.

The Greater Kansas City Region includes Kansas and Missouri and applicants were the Kansas City Area Development and the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor.

The USDA also announced two other sites—Indiana and North Carolina—also met the requirements for both entities. The Indiana application was filed by Purdue University, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the state of Indiana. The North Carolina application was filed on behalf of the Research Triangle region, which includes NC Research Triangle, Wake County, Durham County, and Research Triangle Park.

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