Calling on USDA to Support Pacific Food Producers and Farmers

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This week, I called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to renew its commitment to food security and agricultural development in the Pacific. USDA’s sudden termination of the Islands and Remote Areas Food Business Center pulled over $3 million in planned support for producers in the CNMI, Guam, and American Samoa. Alongside a bipartisan group of colleagues, I’ve asked the Department for answers and pressed for a real plan to support our farmers. This program wasn’t a handout. It was an investment in resilient food systems. Our producers face real barriers, and the USDA’s withdrawal sends the wrong message. I’ll keep working to make sure our island communities aren’t left behind.