The Secretary of Agriculture runs the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a cabinet department with estimated total outlays of $234 billion for fiscal year 2026.1USDA. FY 2026 Budget Summary The job covers food safety inspections, nutrition programs that reach roughly one in four Americans over the course of a year, the federal crop insurance system, 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands, rural housing and business loans, disaster relief for farmers, and the promotion of American agricultural exports abroad. Brooke Rollins was confirmed 72-to-28 and sworn in as the 33rd Secretary on February 13, 2025.2USDA. Brooke L. Rollins Sworn in as 33rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Federal law places the Department of Agriculture under the supervision and control of a Secretary appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 US Code 2202 – Executive Department; Secretary In practice, that means setting the department’s strategic direction, proposing its budget, and directing the dozens of agencies inside it. The FY 2026 request includes about $23 billion in discretionary spending, with the rest tied up in mandatory programs like nutrition assistance and crop insurance.1USDA. FY 2026 Budget Summary
Keeping the Food Supply Safe
The Secretary is responsible for making sure the meat, poultry, and egg products Americans eat are safe and honestly labeled. That work runs through the Food Safety and Inspection Service, which inspects both domestic and imported products. Every label on a retail package of meat or poultry shipped into the United States must meet U.S. requirements, including English-language ingredient lists, country of origin, and safe handling instructions.4Food Safety and Inspection Service. FSIS Import Procedures for Meat, Poultry and Egg Products
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service protects American agriculture from pests and diseases, managing border quarantines and responding to outbreaks like avian influenza in poultry flocks.5USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service When a disease threat emerges, the Secretary’s calls on containment and trade restrictions can move entire commodity markets overnight.
Running the Nation’s Nutrition Programs
The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service runs 16 federal nutrition programs that, taken together, reach roughly one in four Americans over the course of a year.6Food and Nutrition Service. FNS Nutrition Programs The Secretary oversees all of them.
SNAP, still commonly called food stamps, is the largest. More than 40 million people receive monthly SNAP benefits, and the Secretary’s department sets the income thresholds that determine who qualifies. For fiscal year 2026, a household of four in the 48 contiguous states qualifies if gross monthly income falls below $3,483, with higher limits in Alaska ($4,354) and Hawaii ($4,007).7Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY 2026 Income Eligibility Standards
WIC provides food assistance and nutrition education to pregnant women, new mothers, and young children. The National School Lunch Program serves nearly 30 million children on a typical school day. Benefit levels and nutritional standards for these programs are set through decisions the Secretary makes.
Backing Farmers Through Insurance and Disaster Relief
Farming is inherently risky, and one of the Secretary’s core jobs is maintaining the financial safety net that keeps producers going after droughts, floods, or price crashes. The Risk Management Agency administers the Federal Crop Insurance Program, which covers more than 120 unique agricultural commodities and accounts for the vast majority of the value of U.S. crop production.8Economic Research Service. Risk Management – Crop Insurance at a Glance The federal government subsidizes a share of premiums so farmers can afford coverage; at the 75 percent coverage level, the government pays 60 percent of the premium.
When disaster strikes, the Secretary can designate secretarial disaster areas, which unlocks emergency loans and other federal assistance. A county qualifies automatically if any portion reaches D3 (extreme drought) or higher on the U.S. Drought Monitor during the growing season, or sustains D2 (severe drought) for at least eight consecutive weeks. For non-drought disasters, a county can qualify if production losses hit at least 30 percent for one or more crops. The Secretary also keeps discretion to designate a county when the specific thresholds aren’t met.9eCFR. Part 759 – Disaster Designations and Notifications Once a designation is in place, farmers can apply for emergency loans through the Farm Service Agency; the March 2026 rate is 3.750 percent.10Farm Service Agency. USDA Announces March 2026 Lending Rates for Agricultural Producers
Managing National Forests and Conservation
The USDA Forest Service manages 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands, making the Secretary one of the largest land managers in the federal government.11U.S. Forest Service. By the Numbers The mission focuses on sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of those lands, which in practice means balancing timber harvests, wildfire prevention, recreation, and habitat protection.12U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meet the Forest Service
On private land, the Natural Resources Conservation Service offers voluntary programs that provide financial and technical help to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who want to improve soil health, protect water quality, or restore wildlife habitat.13Natural Resources Conservation Service. Getting Assistance The Secretary sets priorities across these programs, deciding which conservation challenges get the most funding.
Rural Housing, Business, and Infrastructure
Much of rural America depends on USDA programs for infrastructure that urban areas take for granted: housing, broadband, water systems, and small-business financing. The Section 502 Direct Home Loan helps low-income families in rural areas buy homes. As of March 2026, these loans carry a fixed interest rate of 5.125 percent, with payment assistance that can lower the effective rate to as low as 1 percent. Terms extend up to 33 years, or 38 years for very low-income borrowers who can’t afford the shorter term.14Rural Development. Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans
The department also funds Rural Business Development Grants for projects in towns with populations under 50,000, supporting small enterprises and job creation where private capital is scarce.15Rural Development. Rural Business Development Grants
Promoting Agricultural Exports
The Secretary represents U.S. agricultural interests in global markets. U.S. agricultural exports totaled approximately $171 billion in fiscal year 2025.16USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. Trade Data The Secretary participates in trade negotiations, works to open foreign markets to American farm products, and pushes back when other countries impose barriers.
The Market Access Program funds partnerships between the USDA and U.S. agricultural trade associations to promote exports abroad. For FY 2026, the program allocated roughly $181.4 million across eligible organizations.17USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. MAP Funding Allocations – FY 2026
Working With the Farm Bill
Most of what the Secretary administers is authorized and funded through the Farm Bill, a sprawling omnibus law Congress typically reauthorizes every five years. It sets the rules and funding for SNAP, crop insurance, conservation grants, rural development loans, and much more. The 2018 Farm Bill has been extended multiple times, with key nutrition provisions carrying an expiration date of September 30, 2025.18Congress.gov. Expiration of the 2018 Farm Bill and Extension for 2025
The Secretary shapes reauthorization by testifying before Congress, supplying the data lawmakers use to draft new provisions, and then implementing whatever passes. When Congress lets the bill lapse or extends it without updates, the Secretary has to run programs under increasingly outdated authority.
How the Secretary Is Chosen and Held Accountable
The President nominates the Secretary and the Senate confirms. The Secretary serves at the President’s pleasure and can be removed at any time. The position also sits in the presidential line of succession, between the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce.19USA.gov. Order of Presidential Succession
Day-to-day accountability runs through Congress. The Secretary regularly testifies before congressional committees, defends budget requests, and responds to oversight inquiries. That back-and-forth is where many of the department’s policy decisions ultimately get tested and shaped.