DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE: Ag Sec. Brooke Rollins discusses HPAI, Tariffs, Trade, and USDA cuts

Commodity Classic, America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused agricultural and educational experience, is currently underway in Denver, Colorado.

The 2025 show, entitled “Elevating Excellence in Agriculture,” featured Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who delivered her remarks as the event got underway.

RFD-TV’s Kirbe Schnoor had the chance to speak with Sec. Rollins, who talked about the main issues facing the industry today: the response to her High-Path Avian Flu strategy, how USDA will protect farmers with tariffs, her Farm Bill priorities, and how USDA cuts could impact producers.

Related Stories
Border closures tied to the threat of New World Screwworm continue to stall Mexican fed cattle imports, tightening U.S. feeder cattle supplies over time — triggering feedlot closures that hinder herd rebuilding efforts, threaten the beef supply chain, and shrink production while consumer prices stay elevated.
Brooks York of AgriSompo discusses projected prices and how farmers are adapting their crop insurance strategies as the price discovery period comes to a close.
Ranger Road Fire has burned 283,000 acres across Kansas and the Oklahoma Panhandle and is nearing containment, as ranchers begin assessing cattle and infrastructure losses as they look toward recovery.
Agriculture avoided major disruptions, but trade uncertainty remains elevated.
The debate now matters as much as the policy — market rules and regulatory clarity depend on whether Congress can finish the bill this year.
Fed cattle numbers are down two percent in February, according to the latest USDA report. Marketings fell 13 percent, signaling continued pressure on beef prices in 2026.