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On Thursday, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a significant reorganization plan for the department, including the closure of multiple buildings in Washington, D.C., and the relocation of many activities to five new “hub” locations across the country. This move, according to Secretary Rollins, aims to realign the department with its core mission of supporting American agriculture and to reduce what she described as a “bloated, expensive, and unsustainable organization” in Washington, D.C.
This reorganization represents the second phase of a broader plan, following a recent voluntary retirement program that saw a reduction of over 15,000 employees. Moving forward, the USDA anticipates only around 2,000 key employees will remain in the D.C. area.
Specifically, the plan calls for closing the department’s South Building as well as the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland, the main facility of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. The five new hub locations proposed are Raleigh, N.C.; Kansas City, Mo.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Fort Collins, Colo.; and Salt Lake City, Utah. These locations were chosen considering existing concentrations of USDA employees and lower costs of living.
The announcement has drawn attention from Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) who are indicating they will call for hearings on the plan.
The National Potato Council will closely monitor the implementation of this reorganization and its potential effects on USDA programs and services that support the U.S. potato industry.