Friday, February 17, 2012

Rural institute head says Rural Development programs need flexibility, regionalism, money

In the face of budget problems that are likely to continue, the Rural Development programs of the Department of Agriculture need to adopt regional approaches, have greater flexibility and seek more investment from government, lenders and foundations, Charles "Chuck" Fluharty, director of the Rural Policy Research Institute, told the Senate Agriculture Committee this week.

Congress is supposed to listen to RUPRI. It created the institute in 1990 to report on federal policy as it affects life in the rural U.S, the Daily Yonder notes, reporting that Fluharty "emphasized that federal agencies have been poorly coordinated in efforts to sustain rural communties. He also stressed that investment in rural regions -- from government, commercial lenders and foundations -- continues to lag." For his written and video testimony, click here.

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