# USDA WEEKLY PODCAST: May 2, 2025

HOST: Welcome to the USDA Weekly Update, where we break down the latest developments from the Department of Agriculture. I'm your host, and today we're covering major changes at the USDA under Secretary Brooke Rollins.

Our top story: The Trump administration's plan to reorganize and downsize the USDA is expected to be released by mid-May. Secretary Rollins confirmed this timeline while speaking in North Dakota, indicating the restructuring could involve consolidating USDA programs with other federal agencies.

"There are seven agencies that deal with housing, including USDA," Rollins noted. "There are 12 agencies that deal with rural prosperity and rural programming. This is the first time we're taking a hard look at how our government is organized."

In a significant policy shift, the USDA has canceled the Biden-era Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative, replacing it with the Advancing Markets for Producers program. Secretary Rollins didn't mince words about the change: "The Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative was largely built to advance the green new scam at the benefit of NGOs, not American farmers."

The reformed program requires that a minimum of 65% of federal funds go directly to producers, addressing concerns that previous projects had high administration fees with less than half of funding reaching farmers.

In financial news, the USDA announced new lending rates for agricultural producers effective May 1st, providing crucial access to capital for farmers looking to expand operations or purchase equipment.

The department is also delivering relief to farmers impacted by recent natural disasters, with emergency loan designations for counties in Oklahoma affected by heat and winds, and physical loss loans for producers affected by tornadoes in Indiana.

For specialty crop producers, there's good news – Secretary Rollins announced a second round of payments through the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops program, providing up to $1.3 billion in additional assistance.

Looking ahead, the USDA's reorganization could affect several key areas, including Rural Development programs and federal wildfire services. Rollins emphasized that essential support programs won't be eliminated: "We're not taking food away from hungry kids or stopping wildfire efforts. The focus is on reducing layers of bureaucracy."

For farmers affected by program changes, the USDA will contact current partners individually. For more information on any of these developments, visit the USDA website at usda.gov.

That's all for this week's update. Join us next Friday for more agricultural news from Washington.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI