increase font size
Announcing the appointment before he departed New York for his inauguration in Washington, Trump said Perdue will do “great things” as his new agriculture chief.
“From growing up on a farm to being governor of a big agriculture state, he has spent his whole life understanding and solving the challenges our farmers face, and he is going to deliver big results for all Americans who earn their living off the land,” said Trump in a statement.
Perdue said in a statement he would “champion the concerns of American agriculture and work tirelessly to solve the issues facing our farm families in this new role.”
The 70-year-old Perdue, a veterinarian by training, has deep ties to agribusiness. That helped him win over Trump, but it could also pose potential conflicts as he seeks confirmation to lead the sprawling US$140 billion U.S. Department of Agriculture.
As governor, Perdue led the state through two recessions, providing a steady fiscal hand but infuriating fellow Republicans when he vetoed tax cuts. He also became immersed in a battle over whether the Confederate battle emblem should appear on the state flag.
But Perdue also brought a deep religious faith to the job: He resisted efforts to expand alcohol sales on Sunday, and when the state suffered a devastating drought, he led a vigil praying for rain.
OPINION: It's good news that Finance Minister Nicola Willis has slashed $1.1 billion from new spending, citing "a seismic global economic event" - Donald Trump's trade tariffs - and unsustainable debt, but with the Government reportedly borrowing $500 million a week, interest costs now exceed the combined budgets of Police, Corrections, Justice and Defence.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has sought to silence critics who insist that New Zealand should be responding hard and publicly to US President Donald Trump's tariff policy.
OPINION: Despite the volatility created by the shoot-from-the-hip trade tariff 'stratefy' being deployed by the new state tenants in the White House, farm commodity prices are holding their own.
OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.
Since Donald Trump’s import tariff announcement, the world has been on a wild economic ride.
Research lending to the production of dairy products that benefit the elderly and improves the overall wellbeing of all people is a key focus of Fonterra's Research and Development centre, based in Palmerston North.
Milk processors are either matching or beating Fonterra's record $10/kgMS opening forecast milk price as the 2025-26 season gets underway.
Young Waikato farmer Carla de Wet has a message for the Government - change KiwiSaver rules to help young farmers get a foot on the property ladder, sooner rather than later.
Fieldays 2025 opens this week with organisers saying the theme, 'Your Place', highlights the impact the event has on agriculture both in the Southern Hemisphere and across the globe.
Sam Carter, assistant manager for T&G's Pakowhai Sector, has been named the Hawke's Bay 2025 Young Grower of the Year.
The CEO of Apples and Pears NZ, Karen Morrish, says the strategic focus of her organisation is to improve grower returns.
OPINION: The Greens aren’t serious people when it comes to the economy, so let’s not spend too much on their…
OPINION: PM Chris Luxon is getting pinged lately for rolling out the old 'we're still a new government' line when…
