Secretary Rollins Announces $30M Food Purchase to Back U.S. Producers and Strengthen America’s Food Supply

These “USDA Foods” are provided to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs, including food banks that operate The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and are a vital component of the nation’s food safety net.

(U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., November 24, 2025) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) intent to purchase up to $30 million in fresh fruit from American farmers and producers to distribute to food banks and nutrition assistance programs across the country. These purchases are being made through the USDA’s authority under Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935 and will assist producers and communities in need. With this action, the Trump Administration is bolstering American prosperity by supporting American agriculture, rural communities, and those in need of nutrition assistance.

“President Trump is standing with America’s farmers, especially right now, while the farm economy recovers from years of neglect under the last administration. Certain commodities are experiencing a surplus, and USDA is ensuring these crops do not go to waste and instead go to Americans in need across the country,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “These fresh fruits will reach those in need, boosting healthier options for Americans at food banks across the country, all while benefitting American farmers facing unfair actions from foreign competitors.”

Agricultural Marketing Service Section 32 Purchases

On an ongoing basis, AMS purchases a variety of domestically produced and processed agricultural products as authorized by Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935. These “USDA Foods” are provided to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs, including food banks that operate The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and are a vital component of the nation’s food safety net.

USDA AMS will purchase $30 million of the following commodities:

  • Fresh Oranges: $15M
  • Grapefruit: $10M
  • Mandarins: $5M

###

Press release provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Related Stories
Since the Tennessee Main Street program’s inception in 2010, 78 rural commercial districts have been improved. These 12 new additions bring that total number up to 90.
In this Firm to Farm blog post, RFD-TV agri-legal expert Roger McEowen tackles a handful of topics related to property rights.
What is “gross income from farming” for purposes of Chapter 12 (farm) bankruptcy – that is the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by Roger McEowen.
In today’s Firm to Farm blog post, Roger McOwen breaks down the Court’s regulations on unconstitutional federal power and the ruling’s impact on BOI reporting.
Watch Megan Shanley Warren, of Shanley Farms in Morro Bay, California, carry on her late father’s legacy, cultivating avocados and the tastiest fruit you haven’t yet discovered: finger limes.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Jael Cruikshank, the newly elected Western Region Vice President, shares her story on this week’s FFA Today.
Farm legal expert Roger McEowen reviews the history of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and outlines how shifting definitions across multiple administrations have created regulatory confusion for landowners.
Leslee Oden, president of the National Turkey Federation, and Jay Jandrain, CEO of Butterball, joined us in the studio on Monday to discuss the history, significance, and expectations surrounding this year’s presidential turkey pardon.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that the move will save farmers and ranchers $2.5 billion each year. The group warns that new methods for calculating the adverse-effect wage rate would result in lower pay for foreign workers.
Higher rail tariffs and tighter Canadian supplies will keep oat transportation costs firm into 2026.
Tyson’s closure reflects deep supply shortages in the U.S. cattle industry, tightening packing capacity, weakening competition, and signaling more volatility ahead for cow-calf producers and feedyards.