USDA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Research says they are aggressively hiring for positions with ERS and NIFA in Kansas City, Missouri.

Dr. Scott Hutchins says they’ve held two job fairs and the response has been very positive, “We’ve received so many applications, so many areas of interest. Folks that will come to this part of the country that would not be able to afford or would not be interested in coming here. So, it’s working out better than, I think, even the Secretary had imagined.”

Hutchins says while headquarters of both ERS and NIFA will

remain in D.C., moving many of those jobs to the Kansas City area brings them

closer to ag stakeholders, “In terms of scale, in terms of numbers of stakeholders,

things such as the Animal Health corridor and things such as that, we think

that we have many, many more opportunities to link and partner and understand

in that regard and it’s certainly proven to be true.”

Hutchins says the $300-Million-dollars in savings will

bolster those agencies, “Over the course of the lease we WILL have significant

savings.

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