On July 24, Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), citing the need to refocus the department’s priorities to better reflect its founding mission to support American farming, ranching and forestry.
The reorganization plan outlines four key pillars including relocation of USDA agencies and staff outside of Washington DC, workforce management, eliminating management layers and consolidating redundant support functions. Public comments regarding the plan are due on Sunday, August 31 and should be submitted to reorganization@usda.gov.
Within the USDA, the Rural Development Mission Area’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) provides critical functions for the cooperative business ecosystem. Programs within RBCS and the Cooperative Services Branch include technical assistance for cooperative development, financial assistance in the form of grants and loans, and maintenance of almost a century of economic and operational data on co-ops. These services and programs provide highly specialized support to cooperative businesses that serve as economic engines of rural America.
Join NCBA CLUSA in participating in this public comment period by emailing reorganization@usda.gov by August 31. Your input on the reorganization is crucial; any attempts to reorganize or otherwise alter the functions of USDA and the support that the cooperative business community receives must be guided by its stakeholders’ input to ensure that it best serves the interests of its members. All stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback ahead of the public comment deadline.
Submit your comment by August 31 Read NCBA CLUSA’s letter to Secretary Rollins
If you have questions or would like to learn more about NCBA CLUSA’s advocacy efforts, email us at advocacy@ncba.coop.