U.S. Secretary of Agriculture nominee Brooke Rollins’ confirmation hearing is underway.
After thanking her family and friends in attendance, she gave her opening statement, which included thanking potentially serving the men and women who provide the country with food and fiber.
“It is clear that we all agree that farmers and ranchers are the cornerstone of our nation’s communities. I commit to you today that if confirmed, I will do everything in my ability to make sure our farmers and ranchers and rural communities thrive.”
She also described her top priorities, if confirmed, which included faster deployment of financial aid to farmers, eradicating animal disease, the Farm Bill, and returning prosperity to rural America.
Watch her Confirmation Hearing
Farmers still earn only a small share of consumer food spending, even as post-farm costs continue to take most of the dollar.
Corn and cotton gave the strongest signals this week, while soybean demand remained softer than in the previous report.
Reliance on vegetable imports remains uneven, with domestic production still anchoring several major categories.
StoneX’s Josh Linville discusses USDA’s efforts to boost domestic fertilizer production and his outlook on supply and prices.
With the Farm Bill now in the Senate’s hands, industry groups say the stakes are high—and timely action could be critical for producers navigating a difficult economic environment.
Landowners interested in protecting working ground through an easement now have another funding window open until the end of May.
