National Barley Improvement Committee introduces Resilient Barley Initiative on the Hill
The National Barley Improvement Committee, which represents the U.S. barley community of growers, researchers, processors, users, and allied industries, has just returned from its annual advocacy trip to Washington D.C. The team of nearly 30 barley enthusiasts participated in over 100 Hill visits advocating on behalf of federal research funding for the barley industry.
NBIC’s priority ask sought to establish a new research venture with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and Land Grant University partners entitled the Resilient Barley Initiative (RBI). The RBI seeks to address abiotic stressors, related to climate change, that have dramatically impacted yield and quality of the barley crop in recent years. As a result, industry has felt disruptions in supply, resulting in imported barley, which is exacerbated by farmers’ decision to not grow the risk-laden crop.
A collaborative team of researchers across 18 states will accelerate resilient barley line development and variety adoption, taking into account unique geographical needs posed by a changing climate. Improved genetics will promote a greater utilization of inputs, mitigation of risk, and positive ecological impact from crop adoption. Replicated cropping system trials will be deployed to better understand management practices for barley and the systems that can best support input use efficiency. Winter barley is a special focus within both approaches - genetics and management - to better understand the tangible ecosystem benefits provided while producing a high quality and profitable crop for farmers. In addition to introducing this new initiative, an annual funding request was made of $8,000,000 annually to be included in the FY25 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Bill.
NBIC members also advocated for an increase in the funding levels for the Barley Pest Initiative (BPI). The BPI is an effort to strengthen research capacity to address over 20 insects and diseases that impact barley yield and quality through development of new resistant varieties and management strategies. In the most recent spending bill (FY24), the BPI received $3.5 million in support, but the NBIC team is actively working to secure an additional $1.8 million to bring the total in FY25 to $5.3 million annually. Already, in just three years of partial funding, the researchers working on the BPI have made great progress. You can read more about this work on the American Malting Barley Association website. In addition to the RBI and BPI, support was also vocalized for other initiatives and agencies within the USDA that are critical to the barley industry as outlined in their legislative priorities.
“Once again, the NBIC brought a diverse and strong team of barley advocates to the Hill. In a year we were prepared for funding cuts, the increase in funding for the Barley Pest Initiative was welcomed news,” said Ashley McFarland, who serves as executive secretary of the NBIC. “Furthermore, the Resilient Barley Initiative received a warm reception in many offices and we are hopeful in its establishment in FY25.”
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