U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins met with commodity groups and producers in Fargo Tuesday for a roundtable discussion on issues facing the agriculture industry.
Rollins was joined by Senator John Hoeven, Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak, Governor Kelly Armstrong and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring at North Dakota State University, where they were hosted by NDSU President Dr. David Cook.
At the start of the meeting, Rollins announced the Trump Administration is releasing $340 million in disaster assistance for farmers and producers, with $5 million of that coming to North Dakota to rebuild electric infrastructure following storms and wildfires. She also announced a measure that will impose up to 33 percent in tariffs on imported products containing more than 65 percent sugar through the end of September.
Representatives from various commodity groups brought their biggest concerns to the table. They included the importance of agriculture research, correcting burdensome regulations, and the need for crop insurance being included in the upcoming Farm Bill. They also spoke about the desire for country of origin labeling on beef products, as well as trade relationships and the strain of tariffs on the markets.
John Sandbakken is executive director of the National Sunflower Association, which represents sunflower producers not only in North Dakota but across the country. He asked Secretary Rollins to advocate for seed oils.
"There's a lot of concern about seed oils out there; there's a lot of misinformation on the internet about seed oils, and we are hoping, as groups, that you'll be a strong advocate for seed oils and the healthy benefits they do bring to our consumers," Sandbakken said.
"I appreciate you bringing the MAHA up; this a unique time in American government," Rollins said. "Secretary Kennedy is a unique voice. Having said that, I'm working very hard to grow a partnership where we focus on the things we can agree on. On the things that we can't - we have a President who welcomes the opportunity to have those discussions. So my commitment is to be a vigorous and persistent advocate for all of agriculture, including the people that you represent."
Rollins also visited the Grand Farm Innovation Campus and American Crystal Sugar during her stop in the area.