Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins faced tough questions this week from a Senate Subcommittee.
She is standing by President Trump’s plans for trade and says that while things may get rocky, she plans to keep the conversations going.
“It’s never easy to change the status quo. The easiest thing for us to do is just say, ‘Oh, it’s great, and we don’t want to make anyone mad, and let’s just keep moving forward and keep adding money to the programs.’ This is what I believe voters asked for, and we’ll continue to have these discussions.”
Rollins emphasized USDA’s commitment to taxpayers, saying several programs, like the McGovern-Dole program, must return to their original intent. She also said she will lay out her plan next week to re-organize USDA, which will include bringing back some Farm Service Agency and APHIS staff.
Farm Bureau economist Dr. Faith Parum says agriculture still needs to see U.S. products actively moving into China.
Richard Gupton says reliable roads, bridges and rail systems remain essential for ag retailers and the broader farm supply chain.
The proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would create the nation’s first transcontinental railroad connecting the East and West coasts under a single carrier.
North Dakota State University’s Dr. Shawn Arita joins us to break down new research on U.S. ag export losses tied to retaliatory tariffs and what they signal for trade moving forward.
NPPC President Rob Brenneman says rising fuel and input costs are creating pressure across pork production despite steady trade.
ISA says Southeast Asia continues driving demand for soy-based feed products through expanding livestock and seafood industries.