WASHINGTON, D.C. – South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden and fellow America First Governors voiced their support of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins and the Trump Administration’s National Farm Security Action Plan.
“Across the country, Chinese investors now control hundreds of thousands of acres of U.S. agricultural land, posing risks not just to local economies but to our food supply, water access, and national security,” wrote Governor Larry Rhoden and his colleagues. “As America First Governors, we firmly stand together in our unwavering support of President Donald J. Trump and his Administration’s National Farm Security Action Plan. This plan is a critical and decisive response to the invasion of our land, food system, and sovereignty by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).”
During the Noem-Rhoden Administration, then-Lt. Governor Rhoden played an instrumental role in protecting South Dakota ag land from ownership by foreign governments in his role as Governor Noem’s Ag Ambassador. Among those solutions was HB 1231, which stopped six foreign governments and foreign entities from those governments from buying up South Dakota’s ag land.
The National Farm Security Action Plan is a joint effort between USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi. This effort protects U.S. agriculture in the following ways:
Strengthens enforcement of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA);
Ensures that inputs to U.S. agriculture currently sourced from other countries are adequately protected and listed as critical;
Provides enhanced protections for our critical agricultural infrastructure against foreign animal diseases, pathogens, and invasive species;
Requires the reevaluation of every USDA program through an American First lens; and
Strengthens coordination between the USDA, intelligence community, and state leaders.
“This is an all-hands-on-deck mission from Washington, D.C., to the farm towns and country roads of our states. Together, we will continue to map vulnerabilities, identify threats, and take aggressive, proactive steps to secure American land, agriculture, and national resilience for future generations,” continued Governor Larry Rhoden and his colleagues. “This is the golden era of American renewal, an era in which we reclaim control over our resources, restore dignity to our agricultural sector, protect future generations, and ensure that American soil remains in American hands.”
Governor Rhoden was joined in signing the letter by Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders, Idaho Governor Brad Little, Indiana Governor Mike Braun, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, Nebraska Governor James Pillen, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, and former Texas Governor Rick Perry.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) praised Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ Farm Security is National Security action plan. As part of the announcement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is releasing a number of farm security and national security policies strongly supported by NCBA and America’s cattle farmers and ranchers.
“America is blessed to have hundreds of thousands of family farms and ranches producing beef right here at home,” said NCBA President and Nebraska cattleman Buck Wehrbein. “NCBA strongly agrees with Secretary Rollins that farm security is national security. We are pleased that USDA is protecting our family farms and ranches, scrutinizing foreign acquisitions to ensure they don’t threaten American agriculture, protecting U.S. agricultural research from foreign adversaries, and bolstering animal health programs to prevent a foreign animal disease outbreak.
Secretary Rollins was joined by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and several others for the rollout of these farm security and national security policies.
“The cattle industry faces no shortage of challenges, but threats like foreign animal disease and agriterrorism are what keeps us up at night,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “NCBA has previously worked with the FBI, Homeland Security, and other federal law enforcement to safeguard American agriculture. We look forward to working with USDA, the Department of Defense, and federal law enforcement partners to continue protecting America’s cattle industry.”
As part of the action plan, USDA will increase their oversight of foreign land acquisitions, strengthen inspections to root out dangerous products coming through U.S. ports of entry, invest in preventing the spread of devastating diseases, and counter cybersecurity threats.
NCBA has long supported adding the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). CFIUS is an interagency panel chaired by the Secretary of the Treasury with additional involvement from the Secretaries of State, Defense, Commerce, Homeland Security, Energy, the Attorney General, and senior White House officials that reviews foreign purchases to ensure they do not threaten U.S. national security. As part of this announcement, Secretary Rollins will be joining CFIUS—a significant win for protecting America agriculture from foreign threats. This move will ensure the Secretary of Agriculture is fully aware of foreign transactions moving forward and can ensure they do not harm American farmers and ranchers.
Additionally, the plan calls for investing in cybersecurity and strengthening screenings at ports of entry. NCBA worked with members of Congress earlier this year to introduce the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act. This legislation would help identify and mitigate cybersecurity threats to the food and agriculture sectors. Additionally, NCBA has also supported strengthened inspection at U.S. ports of entry and use of the Beagle Brigade to sniff out potentially dangerous products coming into the country. Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection quarantined over 1.3 million agricultural items coming into the United States that could have brought disease, invasive species, or other threats to U.S. agriculture.
NCBA has also continued to focus on countering foreign animal diseases. NCBA secured $153 million per year for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank in the One Big Beautiful Bill, with a total investment in cattle health programs of $233 million per year. The vaccine bank currently houses the foot-and-mouth disease vaccine and test kits, which makes sure we are prepared to combat any outbreak.
South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association President and Rancher Warren Symens, said, “Prioritizing the safety of our food system, strengthening livestock health infrastructure, and addressing supply chain vulnerabilities reflects a clear commitment to not only farmers and ranchers, but to the essential role they play in feeding America.”
