Secretary Perdue Announces New Budget Director at U.S. Department of Agriculture

Secretary Perdue Announces New Budget Director at U.S. Department of Agriculture

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Washington, DC - - (June 19, 2018) - - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the selection of Erica Navarro to serve as Director of the Office of Budget and Program Analysis (OBPA) for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). OBPA administers the Department's budgetary functions and also develops and presents budget-related matters. The Director is responsible for providing leadership in carrying out Department-wide responsibilities...

U.S. Department of Agriculture Extends Application Deadline for Dairy Margin Protection Program to June 22

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Re-enrollment Continues Through June 22, Dairy producers urged to act now


Washington, DC - - (June 12, 2018) - - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced the re-enrollment deadline for the Margin Protection Program (MPP) for Dairy will be extended until June 22, 2018. The new and improved program protects participating dairy producers when the margin – the difference between the price of milk and feed costs –...

USDA’s Farmers.gov Receives $10 Million in Funding for Development

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Washington, DC - - (June 7, 2018) - - Today, the Technology Modernization Fund Board (Board) awarded funding to support the development of USDA’s Farmers.gov customer experience portal, which helps better connect America’s farmers, ranchers, conservationists, and private foresters with vital USDA resources and programs. The...

U.S. Department of Agriculture Announces Pilot Program to Increase Homeownership Opportunities on Native Lands

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Department is Partnering with Native Community Development Financial Institutions



Washington, DC - - (May 31, 2018) - - Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is launching a pilot program to increase homeownership opportunities on Tribal lands. “To thrive, rural America needs a creative and forward-thinking partner in USDA,” Hazlett said. “Under Secretary Perdue’s leadership, USDA is har...

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue says Trump Administration Stands Behind Ag Producers

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Secretary Sonny Perdue: “My message to rural America is always the same: President Trump hears you and is working to make your life better.”



(May 20, 2018) - - In an Op-Ed published in the Omaha World-Herald, U.S. Secretary of Education Sonny Perdue reaffirms the Trump administration's support of farmers. In the article, Secretary Perdue says: Throughout my travels, I’ve heard from the people living in rural America about what they want out of this administration: a boost in the economy, a...

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Perdue Applauds Red Tape Reduction for Farmers

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Washington, DC - - (May 17, 2018) - - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today applauded the removal of a burdensome regulation that has long plagued family farms. The rule requiring producers to obtain Data Universal Number System (DUNS) and System for Award Management (SAM) numbers to participate in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs has been eliminated. Congress included this repeal...

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Perdue Appoints New Members to National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods

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Washington, DC - - (May 14, 2018) - - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the appointment of 18 new members and 12 returning members to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). “Food safety and ensuring public health continue to be at the forefront of USDA’s mission,” said Perdue. “The committee members represent a diverse group from academ...

Secretary Sonny Perdue Commemorates First Year at U.S. Department of Agriculture

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Washington, DC - - (April 25, 2018) - - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue commemorated his first year at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today by releasing a new interactive website and USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue: Year One video . In his first year, Secretary Perdue and the USDA team made breakthroughs in agricultural trade, moved to reduce burdensome regulations, responded to natural disasters, and battled through the worst fire season on record, among other notable achievements. The website and video capture some of those achievements and more. To explore the website, you may view the U.S. Agriculture Secretary...

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Perdue Statement Regarding Chinese Duties on U.S. Sorghum

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Washington, DC - - (April 18, 2018) - - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today issued the following statement regarding China’s announcement of duties of almost 179 percent on U.S. sorghum imports: “The international grain market is about the freest market there is, and it is ludicrous to even mention ‘dumping,’ because China can buy product from anywhere they choose...

Agriculture Secretary Perdue Statement on Release of 2018 Farm Bill

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Washington, DC - - (April 12, 2018) - - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today issued the following statement on the release of the 2018 Farm Bill: “I applaud Chairman Conaway and the House Agriculture Committee for their diligence and hard work in crafting the 2018 Farm Bill. The trend of low commodity prices over recent years and headlines about trade disputes have caused anxiety among agric...

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Perdue issues Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order on Reducing Poverty Promotes Economic Independence

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Washington, DC - - (April 10, 2018) - - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today applauded President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order (EO), titled “Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility,” which calls for lifting American citizens from welfare to work, from dependence to independence, and from poverty to prosperity. ...

U.S. Department of Agriculture Expands Focus on Program Integrity Across All Nutrition Programs

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April 4, 2018


Washington, DC - - (March 29, 2018) - - As part of Agriculture Secretary Perdue’s strategic goal of ensuring that our programs are delivered efficiently, effectively and with integrity, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced an enhanced focus on program integrity today, that will include renewed attention on transparency, payment accuracy, fraud and waste prevention, and...

Secretary Perdue Issues USDA Statement on Plant Breeding Innovation

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March 29, 2018


Washington, DC - - (March 28, 2018) - - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today issued a statement providing clarification on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) oversight of plants produced through innovative new breeding techniques which include techniques called genome editing. Under its biotechnology regulations, USDA does not regulate or have any plans to regulate plants that could otherwise have been developed through tra...

U.S. Department of Agriculture Authorizes Emergency Grazing in Response to President Trump’s Directive



Washington, DC - - (April 4, 2017) - - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), acting in response to a directive from President Donald J. Trump, today authorized emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands located in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas – the three states which were most heavily impacted by ongoing wildfires which began on March 6, 2017....

U.S. Department of Agriculture Offers Renewal Options for Expiring Conservation Stewardship Program Contracts


USDA’s Largest Conservation Program Helps Producers Improve Health, Productivity of Working Lands




Washington, DC - - (March 30, 2017) - - Acting Deputy Agriculture Secretary Michael Young today announced that a contract renewal sign-up is underway for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), USDA’s largest working lands conservation...

Statement from Agriculture Acting Deputy Secretary Michael L. Young on National Agriculture Day




Washington, DC - - (March 21, 2017) - - Acting Agriculture Deputy Secretary Michael L. Young today released the following statement: "Today is National Agriculture Day, set aside to pay tribute to the farmers and ranchers of our nation. The work of American producers and growers ensures consumers in our country have plenty of safe food and a wide variety at a cost lower than much of the world. “Through their efficiency, they are able to produce more food an...

U.S. Department of Agriculture Announces Funding to Improve Rural Electric Infrastructure in Nine States


Projects are being financed in Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas





Washington, DC - - (February 28, 2017) - - Rural Development Acting Deputy Under Secretary Roger Glendenning today announced that USDA is making loans to electric cooperatives that will help continue to deliver...

U.S. Department of Agriculture Helps Expand Broadband Service in Rural Illinois and Oklahoma




February 28, 2017


Washington, DC - - (February 27, 2017) - - Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Roger Glendenning today announced that USDA is awarding $19.3 million in loans to provide broadband in rural portions of Illinois and Oklahoma.

"These loans will help bring high-speed internet service to rural communities...

U. S. Department of Agriculture Invests $103 Million to Protect Lives, Property After Natural Disasters




February 27, 2017



Washington, DC - - (February 22, 2017) - - Acting Deputy Agriculture Secretary Michael Young today announced U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing up to $103 million in fiscal year 2017 for disaster recovery efforts to help state, local and tribal units of government protect lives and property in disaster-affected areas following natural disasters. Local units of government, or sponsors, will use financial and technical assistance from the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP Progra...

Acting Secretary of Agriculture Visits Workers Impacted By Louisiana Tornado and Tours Storm Damage







February 16, 2017


Washington, DC - - (February 15, 2017) - - Acting Agriculture Deputy Secretary Mike Young visited the displaced workers of the USDA Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) National Finance Center (NFC) Monday after an EF-3 tornado hit the New Orleans-based NFC building last week, causing severe damage. No one was seriously hurt as a result of the storm, which struck at approximately 11:20 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. Following the tornado, the NFC immediately implemented its Continuity of Operatio...