Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration

Gin Bayou Drainage Bank Stabilization, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Watershed/Flood Prevention Operation, $573,000

Leflore County Board of Supervisors

P.O. Box 250

Greenwood, MS 38935

For the installation of treatment measures to assist in the County's bank stabilization efforts.

Curriculum Development, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, CSREES- Mississippi Valley State University, MS $1,000,000

Mississippi Valley State University

14000 Hwy 82W

Box 7302

Itta Bena, MS 38941

Consistent with one of NIFA's national program emphasis, MVSU--centrally located in a rural area, will utilize innovative information technologies to help its students attain academic competencies. Through the acquisition of new technology, research findings will be documented to produce data-driven program and curriculum changes.

Rural Systems, MS, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, RE/FA, Jackson State University, MS $300,000

Jackson State University

1400 Lynch Street

Jackson, MS 39217

This project proposes to enable authorized users access to secure information sharing vehicles to collect and disseminate data. The project proposes to work closely with USDA's Emergency Management Response Systems and Foreign animal Disease and Emerging Disease Investigations systems, and the MS Department of Agriculture.

Sweet Potato Biotechnology Research, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, CSREES- Alcorn State University, MS $824,000

Alcorn State University

1000 ASU Drive

Alcorn State, MS 39096

The Program has the potential to develop genetically modified or enhanced superior cultivars, or specialty sweet potato cultivars of much higher commercial value for limited resource farmers, thereby contributing positively to economic development in the region. It is estimated that these specialty sweet potatoes could increase the return to limited resource farmers by about 15% as compared to regular sweet potatoes.

I also ask your support for the following authorizing language:

The Secretary of Agriculture shall consider the entire campus of Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, Mississippi as eligible for all activities under programs of the Rural Development Mission Area.