Washington, D.C. (January 20, 2021)–“On behalf of America’s farmer cooperatives, I would like to congratulate President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on assuming office today. The past year has been one of unprecedented tragedy and deep division across our country; with today’s inauguration, we echo the president’s call for unity to help heal these wounds.
“We strongly support this Administration’s number one priority—taking every step necessary to beat back the COVID-19 pandemic and repairing the economic damage it has caused across the nation. Beyond that, we welcome working with the Administration on many of the priorities they have outlined in the past few weeks. Issues such as climate change and immigration reforms are ones that NCFC and their members have been leaders on; as work begins on them, it is critical that the voices of America’s farmers and ranchers are heard in the policymaking process.
“Key to ensuring that happens will be filling out the leadership team at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We urge the Senate to quickly take up and confirm the nominations of Tom Vilsack for secretary of agriculture and Jewel Bronaugh for deputy secretary of agriculture.”
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.
