Ag Policy Blog

USDA on Friday highlighted new leadership in the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) roles.

"FPAC is the most farmer-facing mission area at USDA, housing the Farm Service Agency, the Risk Management Agency, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service--agencies producers rely on every day," Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said. "Following this week's $10 billion economic assistance announcement, these appointees will help ensure that support gets to farmers and ranchers without bureaucratic delays. Strong leadership in FPAC means real results, less red tape, and a USDA that works for those who feed, fuel, and clothe America. I'm proud to welcome these new leaders who will champion our farmers and rural communities."

-Brooke Appleton, deputy undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation. Appleton was most recently vice president of public policy at the National Corn Growers Association. She was deputy chief of staff at USDA during the first Trump administration.

-Andrew Fisher, chief of staff for FPAC. Fisher was a legislative assistant for Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and also served in a similar role under former Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

-Aubrey Bettencourt, chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Bettencourt was a lobbyist for Netafim, and former president and CEO of the Almond Alliance. She was also a deputy assistance secretary of Interior in the first Trump administration.

-Bill Beam, administrator for the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Beam is a farmer in Pennsylvania who has served on multiple boards, especially in the soybean industry. Beam was deputy administrator for FSA farm programs in the first Trump administration.

-Pat Swanson, administrator for the Risk Management Agency (RMA). Swanson was a director at the American Soybean Association and also served a term on the Federal Crop Insurance Corp. Board. Swanson also ran a crop insurance agency in southeastern Iowa where she farms with her family.

-Colton Buckley, chief of staff for NRCS. Buckley served as CEO of the National Association of Resources Conservation and Development Councils and also served as a member of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.

-Chris Clayton

USDA's Avian Flu Update

Rollins also announced Thursday that applications are now open for $100 million in research grants to explore avian influenza prevention, therapeutics, research, and potential vaccine candidates.

The notice of funding opportunity, including application instructions and additional information, is available on the USDA Animal and Plant Health Service website. No vaccine has been authorized at this time, USDA noted.

In a call to stakeholders and reporters, Rollins emphasized that wholesale egg prices are down 50% from their peak, but she added that, with Easter only a few weeks away, "there is always a possibility those prices could kick back up."

Rollins also highlighted that USDA is offering producers who free voluntary biosecurity assessments for poultry farmers not in areas immediately affected by outbreaks. One assessment looks at the risks of wildlife introduction while the other looks at the overall farm.

Rollins left questions to Kailee Buller, her chief of staff, and APHIS Administrator Mike Watson.

Asked whether USDA has any suggestions for consumers regarding whether eggs should be used for non-food purposes during Easter, Buller said that USDA hopes prices won't go back up, and that the holiday should still be "memorable."

Rollins emphasized that she has been discussing the avian influenza situation with other Trump administration officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

But when a reporter asked Buller if those conversations had included Kennedy's recent suggestion that, instead of culling birds in a facility infected with avian influenza, the flu should be allowed to infect all birds so that those that are immune or resistant to the disease will be revealed, Buller said she had not been a part of those conversations and could not shed light on any discussion about that.

Instead of depopulating the flock, Kennedy had suggested earlier this week on Fox News that farmers "should consider maybe the possibility of letting it run through the flock so we can identify the birds, and preserve the birds that are immune to it," he said.

HPAI cases continue to flare up. Indiana on Tuesday reported 1.34 million commercial egg pullets tested positive for H5N1. A day earlier there were 400,000 egg layers affected in Iowa.

Another concern showed up on March 12 when a flock of 47,600 chickens in Mississippi tested positive for the H7N9 strain -- a virus that hasn't showed up in the U.S. since 2017.

The next month will be a critical time to see how biosecurity is working as the spring migration for the Mississippi Flyway is just beginning. Migration generally hits its peak in April.

During the call, Watson, the APHIS administrator, said that once a facility is infected the virus spreads quickly.

Rollins noted that the United States is importing eggs from Turkey and South Korea. Buller said that once egg prices go down, the imports are likely to stop because market conditions will make the imports impractical.

Asked if the vaccination research program also includes a vaccine for cattle, Watson said the focus at the present time is on a poultry vaccine. Watson said APHIS wants to find a vaccine that does not require an injection for every single bird but could be distributed by aerosol, feed or water.

For more information on biosecurity audits or other details about HPAI, go to https://www.aphis.usda.gov/…

-Jerry Hagstrom

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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