Richard Fordyce is likely to be confirmed as the next USDA Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation following his recent Senate confirmation hearing.
Fordyce, a Missouri farmer, previously served in the Trump administration as the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency (FSA). His new role will oversee key agencies that directly serve farmers and ranchers, including FSA, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Risk Management Agency (RMA).
However, Fordyce was challenged during his confirmation hearing by Senators from both parties on several fronts.
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) asked Fordyce about the impact of recent staffing cuts at USDA.
“I haven’t had an opportunity, but will, once confirmed, to dig into the data, understand where those retirements came from, and where they’re located. But I’m confident, Senator, that we can deliver on mission-critical responsibilities in a very positive way.”
Senator John Boozman (R-AR), who is also the Chairman of the Senate Ag Committee, questioned Fordyce about outdated technology being used by FSA.
“I think I can safely say, and I think others would probably agree, probably some in the room, that a lot of our technologies are woefully old.”
Fordyce also said that USDA does need more modern tools and technology for faster processing of farm program applications.
“It is tough in farm country right now. And I would say that, certainly, I would be supportive of looking at what authorities we might have at USDA. But you are exactly right, it is going to be a tough go for a little while longer, I’m afraid.”
Fordyce said he’d be supportive of Congress raising loan limits to deal with rising on-farm costs, but was less committal on the sensitive topic of farm payment limits.
CLICK BELOW to watch Richard Fordyce’s recent confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee:
