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.
U.S. beef imports are running at a record pace while exports are falling, reflecting tight domestic cattle supplies and high U.S. beef prices.
Cattle analysts say the U.S. beef cattle herd rebuild still faces major hurdles despite some minor positive signals noted in certain regions.
Andy Tauer from the National Pork Board discusses efforts to boost pork demand and how the industry is responding to trade restrictions related to pseudorabies.
Dr. Robert Ellis joins us to discuss economic challenges in agriculture, available resources for farmers, and ways producers can evaluate practices to strengthen their operations.
USDA’s first 2026/27 outlook shows tighter supplies across several markets, led by wheat, corn, cotton, rice, beef, and sugar.
President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are expected to discuss commodities, trade and regional stability during meetings in Asia.