WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2014 – The Specialty Crop Committee will meet on Oct. 1 and 2 in Washington, DC, to provide consultation to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) on the relevancy review process for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI).
The Committee will also discuss their strategy for providing advice and recommendations on the overall scope and effectiveness of research, extension, and economics programs affecting the specialty crops industry.
The meeting, which is open to the public, will begin at noon on Oct. 1 and at 8 a.m. on Oct. 2, at the Renaissance Washington Downtown Hotel at 999 Ninth St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.
The Specialty Crop Committee was established by the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 as a permanent subcommittee of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board to study the scope and effectiveness of research, extension, and economics programs affecting the specialty crops industry. The Agricultural Act of 2014 further expanded the duties of the Specialty Crop Committee to consult with NIFA on the establishment of a relevancy review process for the SCRI.
All Specialty Crop Committee meetings are open to the public.
Attendees must register by contacting Shirley Morgan-Jordan at shirley.morgan@ars.usda.gov or call (202) 720-3684. A draft agenda will be sent upon request. At the end of each meeting day, the floor will be open for public comment, or interested individuals may provide written comment for the public record postmarked by October 17, 2014.
For additional information, please contact Michele Esch, Executive Director, REE Advisory Board Office, Room 332A, Whitten Building, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0321, Telephone: 202-720-3684, Fax: 202-720-6199, or e-mail: michele.esch@usda.gov.
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