NPPC Supports Vilsack Nomination to Head USDA

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 10, 2020 – President-Elect Joe Biden today nominated Tom Vilsack to be the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an agency he led for eight years under the Obama administration. The following statement may be attributed to National Pork Producers Council President Howard “AV” Roth, a hog farmer from Wauzeka, Wisconsin.

“We congratulate Tom Vilsack on his nomination. As both the former governor of Iowa, the top pork-producing state in the country, and the former USDA secretary, he understands how critical a vibrant American farm sector is to the rural and overall U.S. economy, and the importance of keeping consumers supplied with an affordable source of nutritious protein. We look forward to working with him on issues of importance to U.S. pork producers, including expanding exports, strengthening biosecurity at our borders to ensure African swine fever and other foreign animal diseases remain outside the country, and ensuring USDA oversight of gene-edited livestock.”

Vilsack’s nomination will be considered by the U.S. Senate when the chamber convenes in January.

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NPPC is the global voice for the U.S. pork industry, protecting the livelihoods of America’s 60,000 pork producers, who abide by ethical principles in caring for their animals, in protecting the environment and public health and in providing safe, wholesome, nutritious pork products to consumers worldwide. For more information, visit www.nppc.org.