"Rollins Reshapes USDA with Farmer-Focused Agenda, Cancels Climate Initiative"

In recent days, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has been highly visible, making several major announcements and policy shifts intended to realign the U.S. Department of Agriculture with what she calls a “Farmers First” focus. Confirmed to the cabinet position in February by a wide Senate margin, Rollins, a lawyer with deep ties to rural Texas, has been praised for her close relationship with President Trump and her stated commitment to prioritizing the needs of America’s farmers and ranchers. She has repeatedly emphasized disaster and economic aid, controlling animal disease outbreaks, completion of the farm bill, and revitalizing USDA’s core mission with a clear America First agenda.

One of Rollins’ first significant moves as Secretary was the cancellation of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, a signature initiative of the prior administration. Rollins described her decision as rooted in a thorough review that found excessive administrative costs and insufficient direct benefits to farmers. Under new rules, future grants and partnerships must guarantee that at least 65 percent of all federal funds go directly to producers, and recipients must have producers enrolled and paid by the end of 2024 in order to qualify. Unspent funds will be redirected through a newly created program, Advancing Markets for Producers, which aims to cut bureaucratic red tape and make processes simpler and more transparent for farmers. All eligible expenses incurred prior to April 13 will be honored, but no new funding will be made available for old partnerships.

In personnel news, Secretary Rollins announced a new slate of presidential appointments within the USDA, further bolstering her leadership team. Highlighted among them is Bailey Archey, who will serve as Policy Advisor in the Marketing and Regulatory Programs area, bringing a background in veterinary medicine and legislative experience focused on agriculture to her new role. Rollins has emphasized that her new team is selected with the explicit goal of reducing regulatory burden and advancing rural prosperity.

Rollins has also been proactive in traveling across the country, meeting with farmers and local officials. She recently visited Lubbock, Texas, where she joined House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington for a roundtable and tour of the USDA Cotton Classification Complex at Texas Tech University. She has been in Arkansas alongside Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders as the state formally requested a federal waiver to ban soda and candy from, and include hot rotisserie chicken in, the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a move highlighting her willingness to reform nutrition programs at the state level.

Trade remains a persistent worry for the Secretary. Rollins has pointed to the nearly $50 billion agricultural trade deficit and called it “devastating.” She has pledged to expand into new international markets, already announcing visits to six foreign destinations in her first six months in office, as part of efforts to boost American agricultural exports.

Rollins has also addressed difficult financial realities facing American farmers, citing a historic drop in crop cash receipts and a sharp rise in input costs. She promised that USDA funds important to farmers, such as Environmental Quality Incentives, Conservation Stewardship, and Agricultural Conservation Easement programs, will be released promptly. In public remarks, she has repeatedly told producers, “It’s a new day at USDA,” committing to attack longstanding challenges from all sides and usher in new opportunities for U.S. agriculture.