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Vilsack concerned with Trump budget rhetoric

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says he’s concerned about the rhetoric coming from the incoming Trump Administration on reducing the size of government because ANY reductions to the USDA budget will hurt U.S. agriculture.

“The unfortunate circumstance is at USDA, we’re dealing with a budget that has not grown at all in the last eight years,” says Vilsack.

Vilsack has outlined a series of priorities for the next administration and says USDA should continue to modify and maintain a strong farm safety net.

“I think we’ve improved the safety net over the last several years with the 2014 Farm Bill but I think there’s still ways it can be strengthened. Certainly there are ways and areas that have cropped up since the passage of that bill that will no doubt require congressional action,” says Vilsack.

Vilsack tells Brownfield farmers still need to be able to ship their products to markets, so the need to invest in infrastructure modernization of roads, bridges, railroads and river locks will continue to be critical.

“We’ve started that process in this administration but I think it really will require several administrations before infrastructure is really in a place that will allow product to be able to be moved to market more effectively and more efficiently,” says Vilsack.

Vilsack says the next administration will also be responsible for ensuring the new GMO labeling law is implemented properly, must continue to fund programs for new and beginning farmers and must take the needs of agriculture into account when it takes on immigration reform.

Vilsack’s last day in office is reportedly January 13^th.

Audio: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack