Brooke Rollins, U.S. President Donald Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday she would consider direct payments to farmers to offset losses from proposed tariffs, modeled after the approach taken in Trump’s first term.

Trump pick to lead USDA eyes payments to farmers to cover trade losses from tariffs

Trump’s USDA secretary pick led group opposed to ethanol, farm subsidies
President Donald Trump's pick to run the Agriculture Department, Brooke Rollins, led an organization that opposed ethanol mandates and farm subsidies, major programs she could influence if confirmed, according to a Reuters review of the group's policy statements.

Immigrant US farmworkers prepare for Trump mass deportation plan
Immigrant farmworkers are preparing for incoming U.S. president Donald Trump's promise of mass deportations, including by assigning guardians for their children if they are detained, according to groups providing them legal support.

US to build new stockpile of bird flu vaccine for poultry
The U.S. will rebuild its stockpile of bird flu vaccines for poultry matched to the current strain of the virus circulating among commercial flocks and wild birds, the Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday.

Louisiana reports first bird flu-related death in US
A U.S. patient hospitalized with H5N1 bird flu has died, the Louisiana Department of Health said on Monday, marking the country's first reported human death from the virus.

US issues order mandating bird flu testing of milk supply
Virus has infected nearly half of California's 1,100 dairy farms
The U.S. issued a federal order on Friday mandating that the national milk supply be tested for bird flu, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Reuters, as authorities seek to grapple with rapid spread of the virus among dairy herds.

US farm groups want Trump to spare their workers from deportation
U.S. farm industry groups want President-elect Donald Trump to spare their sector from his promise of mass deportations, which could upend a food supply chain heavily dependent on immigrants in the United States illegally.

Trump expected to offer Loeffler agriculture secretary role
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to offer former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler the agriculture secretary job in his administration, CNN reported on Friday.

US expands bird flu testing after finding symptom-free infections in people
Farm workers who have been exposed to animals with bird flu should be tested for the virus even if they do not have symptoms, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.

US to begin bulk milk testing for bird flu after push from industry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will soon begin testing bulk raw milk across the country for bird flu, a significant expansion of the agency's efforts to stifle the rapid spread of the virus, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Reuters.