research concentrates too much on biotechnology, genetic 

 manipulation, development of hormones and growth, 

 stimulants, and testing for the chemical tolerance of 

 crops. These concerns speak to a need for better 

 agricultural resource stewardship and the long-term 

 sustainability of our human, economic, and natural 

 resource base. 



Still another concern regards the opportunity for 

 increased profitability that might be obtained with 

 additional marketing research and research into quality 

 and end-product utilization of agricultural commodities. 

 This concern emphasizes that the problem of declining 

 sales and profits in agriculture must be addressed 

 through university marketing research, development of 

 innovative marketing strategies, and research to make 

 our agricultural products more competitive in the 

 marketplace and to expand demand for these products. 



A fear associated with this concern is that the 

 state is failing to maintain its competitive advantage 

 in agricultural markets and that the state's 

 agricultural producers may soon lose their ability to 

 find markets for their products. 



The final concern relates to Option #9(B). This 

 option would require that greater measures be taken to 

 deal with wheat infestation and to provide for research 

 to protect and improve the state's wheat industry. 

 Specifically at issue is the adequacy of state research 

 to control sawfly problems in the prime wheatland of 

 Montana. Also at issue is the lack of an adequate wheat 

 breeding program. The perception is that not enough is 

 being done by the Montana Agricultural Experiment 

 Station to find ways to halt the devastation of the 



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