Dianne Feinstein: “I remain hopeful that this funding level can be increased to $2.5 million. The Viticulture Consortium is a truly unique…”

“I remain hopeful that this funding level can be increased to $2.5 million. The Viticulture Consortium is a truly unique and effective research program that addresses unmet national research needs important to the winegrape growing industry. The consortium is an active partnership of Federal, State, and industry resources which enhances research coordination, improves research efficiency, and eliminates duplication of effort. This is a collaborative program administered by Cornell University, Penn State University, and the University of California. Research proposals have been received from 20 States and research priorities are developed by a national network of key industry research and extension representatives known as the American Viticulture and Enology Research Network, AVERN. This type of collaborative program can serve as a model for research involving other commodities. Again, recognizing the limits facing us, I ask the leaders of the subcommittee to work with me to provide a modest increase in the funding level for the Viticulture Consortium in this bill.”