Washington, D.C. (February 23, 2021)—“The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives congratulates Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on his confirmation in the Senate today. Secretary Vilsack is a true champion of America’s farmers and ranchers, and the rural communities where they live and work; his experience and understanding of the Department means that he can hit the ground running at this critical time.
“Indeed, the secretary will arrive at the U.S. Department of Agriculture facing a series of pressing challenges. In the face of the pandemic and its economic fallout, Secretary Vilsack will need to lead USDA in helping agriculture and rural America to build back more resilient and more equitably than it was before. NCFC and our country’s farmer co-ops look forward to contributing to this difficult task in the years ahead.
“Moving forward, it will also be imperative to build out the leadership team around Secretary Vilsack at USDA. Therefore, we urge the Senate to take up the nomination of Jewel Bronaugh as deputy secretary of agriculture without delay.”
About NCFC
Since 1929, NCFC has been the voice of America’s farmer cooperatives. Our members are regional and national farmer cooperatives, which are in turn composed of nearly 2,000 local farmer cooperatives across the country. NCFC members also include 26 state and regional councils of cooperatives. Farmer cooperatives allow individual farmers the ability to own and lead organizations that are essential for continued competitiveness in both the domestic and international markets.
America’s farmer-owned cooperatives provide a comprehensive array of services for their members. These diverse organizations handle, process and market virtually every type of agricultural commodity. They also provide farmers with access to infrastructure necessary to manufacture, distribute and sell a variety of farm inputs. Additionally, they provide credit and related financial services, including export financing.
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