The land grant concept was needed at one time, namely a century and a half ago. The facilities to educate, to drive the country, would not have happened in that era without the Morrill Act.
Now, in today's world, the land grant designation is used by those with it to shut out non-land grant institutions that are qualified to do certain (primarily Federal) research from even bidding on it.
It has gone from a wonderful concept (promoting education of the general populace) to a licence to keep some from competing fairly and evenly for research dollars. But the land grants cling firmly to that century old designator as some sort of badge of honor.
PS - I'll avoid the words "Agriculture and Mechanic Arts" and the word "duplication" regarding other programs at land grants for now.