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Groups Urge Congress to Address Ag Inspector Funding Shortfall
USAgNet - 09/21/2020

A coalition of 195 agriculture, trade and related groups led by the National Pork Producers Council sent a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, urging them to address the dangerous funding shortfall in the continuing resolution to fund the government past September 30.

The U.S. agricultural inspectors are funded by Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) program user fees, however due to the COVID-related economic downturn and travel restrictions, there has been an unprecedented and dangerous drop in the collection of these user fees.

"We urge Congress to ensure that the essential work of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture inspectors continues uninterrupted. We depend on AQI to ensure that America's agriculture sector remains safe from foreign animal and plant pests and diseases. It is inconceivable that Congress would risk widespread damage to U.S. agriculture and the overall economy by not funding these inspections," the coalition wrote.

With travel and cargo arrivals not likely to recover next year, USDA estimates that it will require $630 million to fund these agricultural inspections through the fiscal year ending in September 2021.


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