[Podcast] USDA Secretary Talks Agriculture at Commodity Classic

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John Dobberstein:

Welcome to the latest edition of the No-Till Farmer podcast brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment. I'm John Dobberstein, senior editor of No-Till Farmer. At the Commodity Classic in Denver recently the farm media got a chance to interview USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins about her first few weeks at her position under the Trump administration. The US ag sector has been devastated in the last year with weather disasters, low commodity prices, high interest rates, and input prices, and a $42 billion trade deficit. Rollins, a Glen Rose, Texas native who served in Trump's administration during the first term, talked about how she plans to tackle some of those challenges, including the ongoing program and staff cuts in federal offices and what the refocusing of the USDA to serve farmers will look like.

Brooke Rollins:

Well, first of all, what a great day to be here in Colorado with so many of our amazing farmers and ranchers from around this great country. We've got a lot of work to do. I'm leaving here in about 10 minutes to give a pretty major speech. We're going to be announcing some new things. I'm sure a lot of you will move over to that, if not all of you, so I'm not going to give a lot of it away, but we will be making some major announcements in my address in just a few minutes. I've now been on the job just over two weeks and it's been incredible. Been to five or six states now, I think. Talked to hundreds and hundreds of our farmers and ranchers. We've already released some pretty major plans, made some big announcements. I'm sure a lot of you have tracked that, but there's a lot more coming. We're moving on Trump time as some of you may have seen. We move very quickly, but it's the honor of a lifetime to be in this role. So I'll take some questions and we'll see if we can get a lot of your questions answered.

Speaker 3:

CJ Miller, Hoosier Ag Today. On Friday, during the Ag Outlook Forum, you described the state of the Ag economy as dire. I just wanted to see if you could elaborate a little further on those comments and what in your assessment makes the state of the Ag economy dire?

Brooke Rollins (02:05):

Yeah, CJ, thank you for that question. So clearly there are a lot of factors that go into this, but when you've got a $49 billion trade deficit, that is devastating to our American farmers and ranchers, $49 billion. I think on Friday it was $45 billion, and I think some new numbers have since come out. When the cost of inputs went up 30% just in the last four or five years... I mean, how do any of our farmers make any money when the cost of inputs go up 30%, your trade deficit increases $49 billion now, and then you have a whole host of regulations that have been layered on over and over and over again? So there are a lot of factors. We are attacking it from all sides, putting together the plan that can hopefully begin to roll that back. I'm planning to very aggressively, with President Trump's permission, go out into the world and look to expand our markets and also make capital easier, especially for our younger farmers as we begin to build hopefully the next generation of our leaders in agriculture. Thank you, CJ.

Speaker 4:

Madam Secretary?

Brooke Rollins:

Yes, sir.

Speaker 4:

You mentioned that the first cabinet meeting was like family.

Brooke Rollins:

It was.

Speaker 4:

So we're at this meeting and there are thousands of exhibitors showing new technology. In the last 60 years, on the average, we have doubled crop production for corn and soybeans per acre. Yet there is a member of your cabinet that says everything that our producers are doing is poisoning themselves, poisoning the soil, and producing food that is unsafe for consumers. Who's right?

Brooke Rollins:

Well, thank you first of all. Good to see you again. It was a great day. I think this was last Wednesday. It was our very first cabinet meeting. Sitting in that room where Abraham Lincoln once sat with his cabinet, deciding the future of America and standing up for what was right, sitting in that same room where some of our later founding fathers butt head, continued to be leadership, that it wasn't built at the very beginning of the country, but soon after, and some of the most important decisions were made in that room with various members of American leadership for presidents from different times throughout our country's history. So sitting in there... I was a staffer the last time as President Trump's domestic policy chief, but this time actually sitting at the table was truly an overwhelming and surreal experience, but also the greatest blessing.

At the same time, understanding what's at stake and how we really will make America great again. For me, it is making agriculture great again and you're referencing Secretary Bobby Kennedy. Secretary Kennedy and I have already begun building a strong relationship, a great hopefully partnership where we can work together, where we begin to move forward and perhaps I can spend a little time making sure that he understands that some of the things maybe that he has been told or believed or has read isn't entirely accurate, and the importance of ensuring that our farmers and our ranchers and that really America understands the importance of things like pesticides and others to ensure that we are able to continue to feed America and frankly to feed the world.

I feel confident, I feel very, very confident, I'm very encouraged that as we work to make America healthy again, we will be able to do it in a very intentional way that not only doesn't compromise our farmers and our ranchers and our ag community, but actually helps to elevate and make more prosperous than ever before. I know that's where President Trump stands, and I of course stand along with him to effectuate that vision. Thank you so much. Yes, sir?

Speaker 5:

During President Trump's first term, there was assistance provided to commodity producers that lost out on export revenues as a result of tariffs. And you suggested that some of the program could be put in place this time. Are there any plans to introduce assistance to producers that have lost out because of rising input prices as a result of tariffs on the market?

Brooke Rollins:

Everything is on the table right now, everything. I know that President Trump, whom I speak with regularly, realizes the state of the farm economy in this country. The last time I know he pushed Secretary Perdue to ensure that we were able to make whole, or at least as... Obviously it wasn't perfect, but as best as we could, some of those, and hopefully most of those, if not all, who had been hurt. But again, everything is on the table. We're building the team at USDA to ensure that we have the structure and the plan in place to allow us to move very quickly. I'll be talking about this in my speech in just a minute as well.

Speaker 6:

One more question.

Brooke Rollins:

Yes, sir. Hopefully we can do a couple more than just one more. Is that okay, Kailee? I'm supposed to be on the main stage in one minute, but why don't we take two or three more?

Speaker 6:

Secretary Rollins, Jesse Allen with Agriculture of America. Kind of piggybacking off the tariff question, I know you've been doing a lot of round-tables with the producers.

Brooke Rollins:

Yes.

Speaker 6:

There are a lot of folks in agriculture who are concerned about what the potential impacts could be. What are you hearing from producers? Are they concerned with the current strategy when it comes to trade, tariffs, et cetera, and trying to...? Whether it's a negotiation tactic, whatever the case is, what are you hearing from the producers?

Brooke Rollins:

There is no question. Everywhere I go, in the four or five states I've been to so far, we've had a lot of producers into the USDA headquarters. When I'm in Washington, I'm sort of constantly trying to be talking to them and hearing their concerns directly. It's very helpful for me personally and figuring out what the next steps are. Everyone is very concerned, and so ensuring that we have all of the data, the information that we need, understanding the decisions that are being currently made, what implications those have, obviously that is my role to take that to President Trump and to the team that is negotiating, that is working on those deals to ensure that those concerns are heard effectively and that we have a plan in place to make sure that our farm community is not compromised more.

Speaker 6:

Thank you.

Speaker 11:

Madam Secretary?

Brooke Rollins:

Yes, sir.

Speaker 11:

Yeah. Josh Baker With Farm Progress. Regarding federal crop insurance, are you committed to maintaining the current federal subsidy rate, or will you be able to make cuts to that as you through the process?

Brooke Rollins:

My goal is to ensure that our farmers and ranchers not just face more severe and dire consequences than what they are already facing, and hopefully we can turn that around quickly, but that we move into a new era of prosperity for those producers and for our ag community. Clearly, everything is on the table in terms of right-sizing our government, and I think we've all seen that, but I've also seen a real willingness from those outside of USDA as we go to them and circle back and say, "Maybe this needs to be preserved or maybe we even need to expand this." The ag plan that I rolled out, the avian flu plan that I rolled out last week at the White House is a great example of that, just ensuring that our government is as intentional and that as we rightsize, that we're serving the very people that we're called to serve.

And that overwhelmingly, I would argue, voted for and supported President Trump moving into the November election, and those that overwhelmingly supported him, the most overwhelming support came from this community and the president realizes that. And so I think rest assured that hopefully those decisions are made with that in mind. One more. Yes.

Speaker 12:

On conservation programs, where do you see that shaking out as you look to shift the agency more towards serving farmers? A lot of concern about that. Farmers feeling like they're doing it for the right reasons. Where do you see that shaking out?

Brooke Rollins:

Listen, our farmers are the original conservationists. There's no doubt about that. Our revolution was fought by farmers 250 years ago. They are the best purveyors and preservationists of the land. We are looking at everything line by line by line. Our chief of staff is the incredible Kailee Buller. She's here. She's really leading that effort, and I feel confident that as we look to right-size the USDA and all of the agencies across the government, as we look to realign the agency to better serve our farmers and our ranchers, as we look to move out things like diversity, equity, and inclusion, and progressive ideals in terms of how we move money out... Those days are over. Now.We look to really focus on those that are truly feeding this country and the world.

John Dobberstein:

We'll come back to the episode in a moment, but first, I'd like to thank our podcast sponsor, Yetter Farm Equipment. Yetter Farm Equipment has been providing farmers with solutions since 1930. Today, Yetter is your answer for finding the tools and equipment you need to face today's production agriculture demands. The Yetter lineup includes a wide range of planter attachments for different planting conditions, several equipment options for fertilizer placement, and products that meet harvest time challenges. Yetter delivers a return on investment and equipment that meets your needs and maximizes inputs. Visit them at yetterco.com.

Let's get back to the coverage of USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins session with the farm media at the Commodity Classic.

Brooke Rollins:

We'll do a couple more questions. The staff is having a heart attack, but it's okay. Yes, ma'am?

Speaker 7:

You talked about trade and expanding markets and increasing markets for US farmers and ranchers. When you talk about the tariff conversation, how are you, one, using that? Is that just a negotiating tool or does it make that trade conversation with other partners knowing that this is going on here in the US?

Brooke Rollins:

I just was talking to some producers before I walked in here. I think it is no surprise to anyone in this room that the pace at which President Trump is currently meeting with world leaders... Some of those meetings go better than others as we saw on Friday. But I think as we see that, for me personally, and I hope for the audience that you all represent and why you're here, you hopefully are encouraged that while we're entering probably some tense trade negotiation moments and days, and perhaps weeks and maybe even months, that the place of President Trump, Vice President Vance in America, in the world, I believe is strengthening every day. And I do think that is going to give us some really good opportunity to strike some of these deals to ensure that we are expanding that market access.

So there are so many different pieces on the chess board, thank you, that are being moved around right now, and it is a bit of a game of three-dimensional chess. But having said that, I believe so sincerely that President Trump has such a good team of people that are extremely aggressive, very intentional, that work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, I as being one of them, President Trump being sort of the key 24/7 days of a week. But the rest of us are called to do that as well within our different lanes. And so I am encouraged. I hope to begin making trade trips very soon across the world. I've already begun conversations with several potential key significant trading partners that I think will make a huge difference to our farmers and ranchers back home. Yes, sir.

Speaker 8:

Shaun Haney, RealAgriculture. You're concerned about input costs. Yet the administration, as you mentioned, is threatening tariffs on Canada and Mexico. 87% of the potash used in the Midwest comes from the province of Saskatchewan. You also say you talk to the president regularly, which we all believe you. What are you recommending to him in regards to tariffs on Mexico?

Brooke Rollins:

I don't want to obviously talk about personal conversations with him, but just know that I have had conversations with him specific to that issue. And we'll continue. But also the other teams, the teams from USTR, a US Trade representative who we just got confirmed, Jameson Greer, just a couple of days ago, Howard Lutnick, obviously, Commerce Secretary, who's leading a lot of these conversations and negotiations on behalf of this White House. Kevin Hassett is head of the National Economic Council. He's within the West Wing. He's also as well. And so our conversations are ongoing and will continue to be, and I fully recognize that. Yes, sir.

Speaker 9:

Secretary Rollins, Justin with the World Radio Network in Nebraska. My question is about the DOGE cuts that impact federal employees. The US Meat Animal Research Center is placed here in Nebraska and 17 employees that lost their job due to those cuts. Are there plans to look at those cuts that took place or-?

Brooke Rollins:

Yes. No, and we have been looking at them. I have been very transparent in this. This is an extremely aggressive effort that I fully support, but in being so aggressive, there will be mistakes made and there have been mistakes made. I think in the first tranche we let go, as part of those cuts, some of the avian flu experts, and immediately Kailee brought them back and have done that. I was down at the Borlaug Institute in College Station on Friday, looking at all of their great researchers, and the three scientists that greeted me, some of the world's most renowned agriculture researchers that the Borlaug Institute and Texas A&M had recruited were also given the pink slip, but within a few days or a week, they too were brought back. So that is, I think, a really important part of this is we're moving at Trump speed, that there will be some mistakes made and that we will fully, fully take responsibility for it and recognize it when that happens. One more. One more.

Speaker 10:

Right here.

Brooke Rollins:

Yes, ma'am.

Speaker 10:

Corryn La Rue with American Ag Network. Kind of on the heels of his question, I've interviewed a couple of folks that were with the USDA sub-agencies and they've gotten a grant for a specific project. And in these areas or in these situations where money is allocated for a specific program or a specific project and now has been removed or they've been removed from the position, what are the plans with that money as it's not necessarily going to go to anything else? Is it just going to sit there?

Brooke Rollins:

Yeah, so we're repurposing it, and let me give you an example of that. The avian flu plan that we rolled out on Wednesday includes significant funds for biosecurity to lock the barns down, includes significant funds for repopulation, includes significant funds for further research and investment into therapeutics and vaccines. So that's the goal is we're canceling 978 DEI trainings, including gender ideology trainings and including contracts on gender research in Brazilian rainforests and DEI research for pest management. Gone, gone, gone, gone, gone. That all now becomes repurposing to helping our farmers and our ranchers. All right, y'all, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

John Dobberstein:

That's it for this episode of the No-Till Farmer podcast. Make sure to check out no-tillfarmer.com for all the latest news about federal ag policy and conservation programs. We also want to thank our sponsor, Yetter Farm Equipment, for helping to make this podcast possible. The transcript of this episode and our archive of previous podcast episodes are both available at no-tillfarmer.com/podcasts. For the US Department of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, and our entire staff here at No-Till Farmer, I'm John Dobberstein. Thanks for listening. Keep on no-tilling and have a great day.