On Tuesday, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the next phase of the USDA’s Make Agriculture Great Again initiative, a policy rollout titled National Farm Security Action Plan.
The plan outlines seven key steps the agency will take to strengthen American agriculture:
- Protect American Farmland From Foreign Adversaries
- Strengthen Agricultural Supply Chains
- Safeguard Nutrition Programs
- Secure Agricultural Research
- Review USDA Programs
- Protect Plant And Animal Health
- Defend Critical Infrastructure
Following the announcement, Sec. Rollins took some questions. She was asked how mass deportations could impact the ag workforce.
She stated that the administration is committed to securing the border and protecting the U.S. food supply.
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