Perdue Applauds USDA Accomplishments in 2017

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue talked about the accomplishments of the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the first year of the Trump Administration. He says the USDA made breakthroughs on agricultural trade, made strides in reducing burdensome regulations, responded to natural disasters, and battled through the worst fire season on record.

Perdue said, “As 2017 comes to an end, the hard-working civil servants who make up the USDA have a great deal to be proud of.”

Stakeholder outreach is a big area of improvement. Since taking the job, Secretary Perdue has visited 30 states and six foreign countries.

Perdue also took several steps to reorganize the USDA, including the creation of the first-ever Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. He points out that USDA scored a significant victory on the agricultural trade front with American beef re-entering China after an 11-year ban on those imports. U.S. rice also made its first appearance in China, and European Union regulations on U.S. citrus imports were also relaxed during 2017. USDA also responded to concerns by restoring flexibility for the nation’s schools when it came to the national school lunch and breakfast programs.

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