Facilitating crop protection solutions for specialty crop growers.
The specialty crop community is asking Congress to increase appropriations for the IR-4 Project in Fiscal Year 2023 from $11.9 million to the Congressionally authorized amount of $25 million.
Funding for the IR-4 Project is included in U.S. Department of Agriculture appropriations in the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Research and Education Section as line-item Minor Crop Pest Management (IR4).
The specialty crop community needs your help!
We need Congress to increase financial support for the IR-4 Project in Fiscal Year 2023 from $11.9 million to the Congressionally authorized amount of $25 million.
To get involved please email: info@ir4friends.org
Meister Media Highlight Friends of IR4 Success and Next Steps
What is the IR-4 Project?
IR-4 Project, established in 1963 by USDA, aids specialty crop agriculture by developing data needed to facilitate the registration of crop protection products for fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, ornamental plants and other horticultural crops. Products supported by IR-4 reduce food waste while maximizing returns to the agriculture community.
Services provided by IR-4 support the specialty crop community and the consumers who enjoy specialty crops on their kitchen tables. Most of the fruits and vegetables we eat are helped through IR-4 research.
Our Members
IR-4 Needs Additional Funding
IR-4 Project needs have continued to increase while federal funding has flat at $11.9 million for more than a decade. Flat funds limit the IR-4 Project’s ability to meet the crop protection needs of farmers and food processors while affecting the ability of the specialty crop food chain to provide quality products. As a result of increased costs, the IR-4 Project has reduced new research efforts by almost 14% over the past three years.
To learn more about the IR-4 Project and its activities, please visit: https://www.ir4project.org/
The IR-4 Project is critical to our nation’s food security
It helps the agriculture sector meet the demands for high-quality food now and into the future. It remains a sound public investment that produces significant, tangible results and is worthy of an increased investment in funding.