Dairy farmers have spent much of the past two years seeing smaller producers dwindle away. Some solid economic data on the impacts would be nice, but dairy consolidation is just one of the topics USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) no longer has the staff to work on.
As Politico first reported, an internal memo at USDA shows roughly 80 percent of employees at ERS have now left the agency rather than relocate to Kansas City, MO. In the memo, USDA stated, “Due to decreased staffing levels, ERS will for considerable time be unable to provide the same level of breadth and depth in its economic research and outlook analysis as it did in the past.”
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue sent a video message to employees at ERS and the other agency involved in the move, the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
Perdue said Sept. 30, “Today marks the official first day of the next chapter of ERS and NIFA in Kansas City. I appreciate your commitment to the mission of your agencies throughout the relocation process. As I’ve noted before, I frequently tell people I meet that USDA has the best workforce in the federal government, and your commitment to the one USDA family has not gone unnoticed. Many of you have worked long hours to ensure a successful transition, and no doubt, there is more work to come.”
Perdue added, “This is a great opportunity to ensure you at ERS and NIFA can continue a high level of work and service to your customers, while allowing us to prioritize investments in critical research and in you, our employees. I am confident we can build on the past successes of your agencies to make our work sustainable for the future and further our mission of service to our customers.”
At least 38 reports will be delayed or discontinued until further notice. USDA, however, will focus on “developing consistent external messaging for delayed and/or discontinued products.”
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said in a letter to Perdue on Sept. 27 that she was concerned about the lack of capacity at ERS and NIFA to conduct their missions. When it comes to NIFA, as of the last week in September, there had been an array of grant recipients who still had not been funded by NIFA.
The moves raise the question of whether Congress must specifically deny a department authority to reorganize or move an agency in legislation outside of budget authority. A USDA Office of Inspector General (OIG) report in early August cited that USDA had legal authority to realign both ERS and NIFA, but the 2018 Consolidated Appropriation Act had set limits on USDA’s authority to realign offices. The department has not gotten congressional approval, as required under the statute, and USDA has not met a reporting deadline under the act as well. USDA’s Office of General Counsel responded with a 16-page memo to the OIG summarizing that USDA has acted in accordance with the law and secretaries have discretion to reorganize their departments.
“We’re kind of a test case,” said Laura Dodson, a USDA ERS employee who serves as vice president of their union, American Federal Government Employee Local 3404. Dodson added, “It shows they can dismantle an agency outside of congressional authority.”
The Trump administration proposed twice in budget requests to reduce staff and research areas at ERS, but those requests were ignored. Perdue and other leaders at USDA then announced in August 2018 that USDA would move the bulk of agency’s employees, along with NIFA.
According to the union, 141 people have left ERS. Sept. 30 was the first day of the new ERS in Kansas City, MO, and USDA in Washington, D.C. There are 16 people in Kansas City and 24 more still in Washington.
“It’s just absolutely insane they have kicked out hundreds of qualified scientists in order to move 16 people to Kansas City,” Dodson said.
USDA put out a memo to employees stating the department plans to hire 150 more employees in Kansas City.
ERS also plays a critical role in the USDA Outlook conference, which is meant to revolve around the department’s economic data and forecasts. At least a few areas, such as organic production and the opioid epidemic in rural America, now no longer have anyone left at ERS to provide research data.
The Monthly Food Price Outlook may be delayed until the rest of the year. Seasonal commodity forecasts in October will likely be delayed, which includes the two-year price forecasts used by the Risk Management Agency and World Agricultural Outlook Board.
“We just don’t have the staff anymore and even research that has been completed will have a hard time getting out because we are just so short-staffed,” Dodson said.
The group that was in charge of publishing ERS studies, the Publishing Services branch, was made up of nine people. There are two left on extensions in D.C.; the rest of them left the department. USDA’s memo indicates reports will have no special articles, limited data visualizations and often no tables.
ERS was meant to inform policymakers, such as members of Congress, about what was happening in rural America. As USDA’s memo notes, “With fewer staff, we expect to be able to support a reduced number of staff analysis requests and briefings.” — Chris Clayton, DTN ag policy editor
