U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue applauded the president’s selection of the three positions within the USDA.
“I look forward to the confirmations of Greg Ibach, Bill Northey, and Stephen Vaden, and urge the Senate to take up their nominations as quickly as possible,” Perdue said. “This is especially important given the challenges USDA will face in helping Texans and Louisianans recover from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey.”
The Undersecretary for MRP oversees three critical USDA agencies: the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; the Agricultural Marketing Service; and the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration.
“Greg Ibach will bring the experience and vision necessary to serve as a first rate Undersecretary for MRP at USDA,” Perdue said. “His exemplary tenure as Nebraska’s Director of Agriculture places him squarely in tune with the needs of American agriculture, particularly the cattle industry. His proven track record of leadership will make him a great asset to USDA’s customers, the hard working, taxpaying people of U.S. agriculture.”
The Undersecretary for FPAC oversees three USDA agencies: the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Risk Management Agency.
“Bill Northey will continue his honorable record of public service in leading FPAC,” Perdue said. “Having served the people of Iowa for the last ten years as their Secretary of Agriculture, and as a fourth-generation corn and soybean farmer, Bill has a unique understanding of issues facing farmers across the nation. He will be an invaluable member of the team.”
The National Corn Growers Association also supported the Northey nomination.
“Bill Northey is a longtime friend of NCGA and a passionate advocate for farmers,” said Wesley Spurlock, president of the NCGA. “We congratulate him on this well-deserved appointment, and we urge the Senate to move quickly to confirm him. His roots in production agriculture run deep. He will give farmers and ranchers a senior-level voice on important issues such as risk management and conservation programs, especially as we craft the next farm bill.”
Throughout his career, Northey has been a leader in a variety of agricultural groups, including serving as president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association from 1991-92 and president and chairman of the National Corn Growers Association from 1995-97. In his three terms as Iowa secretary of Agriculture, he has promoted science- and technology-based solutions to better conserve soil, water, and air, and helped to expand the state’s ethanol infrastructure.
