(WASHINGTON D.C.) — Missouri farmer and former Trump FSA chief Richard Fordyce is likely to be confirmed as the next USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation following his Senate hearing. There was little question based on the bipartisan support Fordyce received at his confirmation hearing that he would become Undersecretary for USDA’s most farmer-facing mission area, covering the Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
But Fordyce was challenged by ag-state senators of both parties on several fronts. He told top Democrat Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota on staff cuts that “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.”
On outdated FSA technology hampering farmer services, Fordyce told Senate Ag Chair John Boozman of Arkansas that “I think I can safely say, and I think others would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.” That signals a need for more modern tools and faster processing of farm program applications.
But what about more aid? Fordyce agreed with Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith that farmers are not out of the woods, yet despite a raft of earlier aid. “It is tough in farm country right now,” said Fordyce. “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.
SOURCE: NAFB News Service
