Latest news with #agriculturalresearch
South China Morning Post
18-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
US farm agency fires 70 foreign researchers after national security review
The US Department of Agriculture said it has fired 70 foreign contract researchers after a national security review intended to secure the US food supply from adversaries including China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. Advertisement 'USDA has completed a thorough review of individuals authorised to work on contracts with the department and identified around 70 individuals from countries of concern,' a spokesperson said. 'The individuals working on these contracts from countries of concern will no longer be able to work on USDA projects.' US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on July 8 had announced a farm security plan that included efforts to bar purchases of US farmland by nationals of the four countries, and to terminate any existing research agreements with them. Rollins said the moves were necessary to secure the US food supply. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on July 8 announced a farm security plan that included efforts to bar purchases of US farmland by nationals of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. Photo: Reuters The contractors had worked at the Agricultural Research Service, the in-house research arm of the USDA, said Thomas Henderson, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1657, which represents ARS workers in Albany, California. Advertisement Most of those dismissed were Chinese postdoctoral researchers on two-year contracts with the agency, and who were already subject to vetting before being hired, Henderson said.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Corn genetics lab faces relocation, pending 2026 federal budget
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — One month ago WCIA reported that the University of Illinois' soybean collection facility might relocate to Missouri. Now, another agricultural research center might be forced to move to a bordering state as well. University of Illinois's National Soybean Germplasm Collection is the largest soybean seed bank in North America. The Maize Genetics Cooperation Stock Center houses more than 100,000 genetic corn mutants. Illini Solar Car team wins national competition The federal budget item would relocate the soybean collection to Columbia, Missouri and the corn stock center to Ames, Iowa — locations an Illinois professor said might be unfit to take care of them. 'They don't have the facilities right now and the capabilities right now to absorb that collection here from the University of Illinois,' said Dr. Martin Bohn, an associate professor in crop sciences. 'The research enterprise that we are engaged in, studying the genetics of important characteristics, you know, will be broken.' According to the College of ACES at the University of Illinois, the relocation would not save money for the federal government. Instead, it would cost more to relocate the facilities. They also said the item is being discussed in a senate appropriation committee and there's no timeline for when the center might have to move. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Reuters
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
US farm agency finds safety issues at top research site after whistleblower complaints
WASHINGTON, June 26 - The Department of Agriculture found significant safety issues at its top U.S. research facility in an investigation of 2023 whistleblower complaints about the state of the site, the Office of Special Counsel said in a letter sent to the White House. The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., is the agency's flagship research site spanning nearly 7,000 acres (2,833 hectares) and houses labs studying climate change, invasive insects, animal genomics and more. Reuters exclusively reported in May 2023 that BARC workers had filed complaints that unsafe work conditions, ranging from broken fire alarms and ventilation systems to wild indoor temperature swings, were impeding research and endangering staff. Experts have warned that declining government investment in agricultural research threatens the U.S. position as a leading agricultural innovator. The investigation, ordered by the Office of Special Counsel in 2023, substantiated many of the whistleblower allegations and found "pervasive safety deficiencies," including excess grime, damaged flooring, mold and a lack of potable water, according to a letter sent from the OSC to President Donald Trump on Wednesday. The poor condition of the facility was caused by inadequate funding, understaffing, a lack of necessary tools and equipment and the absence of a maintenance plan, the letter said. The investigation did not find that the poor conditions were hindering research, the letter said. BARC workers told Reuters of incidents including a plumbing leak in 2022 that had ruined records and data and that issues such as inoperable fire alarms pulled staff time away from research to conduct fire patrols and other tasks. The agency has taken some corrective actions to address the issues, including hiring a new director for the facility and drafting a plan to move employees to fewer and more modernized buildings on the site, the letter said. Trump's administration has proposed to cut funds to USDA research agencies and the agency's research arm has lost hundreds of staff under efforts to shrink the cost and size of the federal government.
