Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett released the following statement regarding a grant from the USDA National Institute on Food and Agriculture to manage research on cattle at the University of the Virgin Islands:
“Today, I am pleased to announce a grant from USDA National Institute on Food and Agriculture to manage research on cattle at the University of the Virgin Islands. The grant is in the amount of $149,877. This grant will be used to rebuild animal handling facilities at the University of the Virgin Islands Beef Cattle Research Facility.
“Cattle working pens will be constructed for managing the university research herd. The pens will include a squeeze chute and scale, crowding and sorting pens, a loading chute and a solar powered well to provide water in the pens, solar power for the scale and water harvesting from the roof over the scale. This project is being done to rebuild the beef cattle working facilities to make them safer and more efficient for managing the research cattle herd.
“This important grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will strengthen the capacity of the University of the Virgin Islands to carry out resident instruction, curriculum, and teaching programs in the food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences (FANH). This grant will also help the University of the Virgin Islands upgrade agriculture and food science facilities, and equipment necessary to conduct tropical and subtropical agricultural research.”
