Perdue Announces Creation of USDA Trade Undersecretary, USDA Reorganization

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue’s announcement Thursday of a USDA undersecretary on trade was met with open arms by farm groups.  The Department of Agriculture will be reorganized to include a trade secretary.

He made the announcement to the public during a tour of a grain shipping facility in Cincinnati.  In a letter to Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, Perdue said the move follows “Congress’s directive in the 2014 farm bill.”

Congress directed USDA to establish an undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural Affairs and realign the Foreign Agricultural Service to report to the new trade undersecretary.  Perdue also announced the creation of an undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, which will oversee the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources and Conservation Service, and the Risk Management Agency. The reorganization also includes eliminating the Rural Development Undersecretary, having the division report directly to Secretary Perdue.

In the letter, Perdue stated: "This realignment will re-orient our approach to serving producers and improve our responsiveness to the needs of producers.”

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