It’s Official: Brooke Rollins New Leader of USDA

CEAgWorld staff By CEAgWorld staff|February 18, 2025

On Feb. 13, the U.S. Senate confirmed Brooke Rollins as the next Secretary of Agriculture.

Rollins, 52, was formerly Director of the Domestic Policy Council and Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives during the first Trump administration. She also served as Director of the Office of American Innovation at that time. She most recently served as President and CEO of America First Policy Institute.

Multiple agriculture associations are reacting to Rollins being confirmed as the next U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles issued the following statement congratulating Rollins: “We welcome Brooke Rollins’ confirmation and look forward to working with her to address the critical challenges confronting American farmers and rural communities. Her leadership at the USDA is essential as the U.S. potato industry and our specialty crop allies work to pass a new Farm Bill, secure essential funding for research and market development projects, open new foreign markets, and support the growers and workers who are delivering nutrition to dinner tables around the world.”

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall also commented: “Farm and ranch families are looking for a champion and a voice as they continue to face economic headwinds, labor challenges, and uncertainty over the rural impacts of Washington’s current policy debates. Ms. Rollins will need to hit the ground running to ensure the administration understands the challenges farmers and ranchers are facing.

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“With a heart for agriculture and rural America, we’re confident she’ll prioritize the distribution of disaster and economic aid, ensure adequate staffing for the essential functions of USDA agencies, keep USDA’s contractual promises with farmers, advocate for trade policy that maintains and grows markets for our agricultural products, and work with Congress to pass a modernized farm bill.”

From California Fresh Fruit Association President Daniel Hartwig: “On behalf of the California Fresh Fruit Association, we congratulate Secretary Rollins and are excited to work with her and the team at USDA to help continue the viability of California’s fresh fruit industry to ensure the nation and world have a safe, nutritious, and reliable food supply.”

In January, more than 400 agriculture-related groups and businesses signed on an official letter of support for Rollins. Click here to see the letter and list of associations.

Upon learning of her confirmation, Rollins tweeted the following on X:

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on GrowingProduce.com, our sister brand.

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