Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue testified at his first hearing as the new head of USDA. The House Agriculture Committee welcomed Perdue to Capitol Hill Wednesday to testify on the “State of the Rural Economy.” The new secretary submitted seven pages of written testimony which focused on his proposed “realignment” of USDA. “My goal is to make it the most …
Secretary Perdue Announces USDA Changes
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has announced a reorganization of USDA yesterday that includes the creation of a new undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, which was approved in the most recent farm bill. As part of the reorganization, Perdue also announced that the department’s Rural Development agencies would be elevated to report directly to the secretary of agriculture “in …
Perdue Shows Ethanol Support During Iowa Visit
Sonny Perdue made his support for renewable energy and ethanol clear during a visit to Iowa last week, telling a local FFA chapter that “renewable energy, ethanol is here to stay…you have nothing to worry about.” Listen here: Secretary Perdue visited Couser Cattle Company in Nevada, Iowa, where he was presented with a custom made corn products display and a …
Perdue Visits Kansas City USDA Office
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited the USDA office in Kansas City, Missouri this week and addressed members of the press on a variety of ag issues, including the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), farm bill priorities, SNAP programs, staffing possibilities, the recent wildfires, and his priority for the USDA. Listen to the complete press conference: …
USDA Welcomes @SecretarySonny
Sonny Perdue was sworn in as the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tuesday and officially introduced his new Twitter handle – @SecretarySonny. Welcome to Twitter Secretary Perdue. After he took the oath of office, Perdue’s first order of business was to address employees at the USDA. During his address, Perdue explained the four main principles that will guide him while …
Trump Holds White House Farmers Roundtable
President Trump welcomed new Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on his first day in office for a White House “Farmers Roundtable” and the signing of an Executive Order establishing an Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. Among the 14 farmers and ranchers invited to the White House session was American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. “Not only …
Sonny Perdue Confirmed as Ag Secretary
The U.S. Senate has formally confirmed the nomination of George Ervin “Sonny” Perdue III to serve as the 31st Secretary of Agriculture. The final vote was 87 to 11. Perdue, an agribusinessman, veterinarian, state legislator, and former governor of Georgia, grew up working on his family farm in central Georgia, making him the fourth agriculture secretary who has worked as …
Senate Urged to Vote on USDA Secretary
As the agriculture industry continues to operate without leadership at the USDA, industry groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), have been urging the Senate to vote this weekand confirm Sonny Perdue as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture before recessing for spring break. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway (R-TX) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) have also urged Congress …
Agriculture Secretary Nominee Hearing
The Senate Agriculture Committee held a confirmation hearing March 23 for former Georgia Governor Ervin “Sonny” Perdue III who has been nominated by President Trump to serve as Secretary of Agriculture. During the hearing, Perdue outlined his four overall goals as agriculture secretary – to maximize opportunity of agriculture to create jobs, prioritize customer service every day, ensure a safe …
USDA Ag Outlook Forum
The USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum was held this week in Arlington, Virginia. The distinguished speaker at this year’s event was former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who was recently nominated as ambassador to China. Branstad took time during his speech to praise incoming Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and share his thoughts on the future of agriculture and economic development in …
USDA Announces New GIPSA Rules
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced updated regulations under the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). The “Farmer Fair Practices Rules” outline “common sense protections to restore fairness and reduce the burden for farmers seeking justice under the Packers and Stockyards Act.” Joining Vilsack for the announcement were National Farmers Union president Roger Johnson and Mike Weaver, president of the …
General Mills, Xerces Society & NRCS Hit Milestone
The U.S. Department of Agriculture hosted an announcement between themselves, General Mills, and the largest and oldest pollinator conservation organization, the Xerces Society this morning. The three organizations are joining together to protect the habitats of pollinators on hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. The project is a five-year, $4 million commitment to provide the technical assistance for planting …
U.S. Trade Enforcement Action Against China
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers today announced the launch of trade enforcement action against China at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The action challenges China’s use of “market price support” for three key crops (rice, wheat, and corn) in excess of China’s commitments under WTO rules. Congressional members …
#Biobased2016 Helps Build Demand for #Soybeans
The United Soybean Board held its 2016 Biobased Stakeholders’ Dialogue July 7 at USDA headquarters in Washington DC. The event featured the debut of a new soy biobased video and an address by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, as well as displays of biobased products, speakers who shared their success stories and information on USDA’s BioPreferred® Program. Because of the potential …
USDA Predicts Record #Soybean & More Corn Acres
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) planted acreage report for this year estimates record soybean plantings and increased corn acres over last year. The report estimates U.S. soybean planted area at a record high 83.7 million acres, up 1 percent from last year, while corn growers increased their acreage from last year by 7 percent to 94.1 million acres, making …