Nebraska, Iowa Ag Secretaries land senior USDA posts

In Washington, Nebraska Secretary of Agriculture Gregory Ibach and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey were appointed to key USDA posts by President Trump.

Ibach was appointed under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs, which oversees three USDA sub-agencies — Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Agricultural Marketing Service, and the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration. Ibach has been Nebraska Secretary of Agriculture since 2005.

Northey was appointed under secretary for farm production and conservation, which oversees three USDA sub-agencies — the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Risk Management Agency. Northey has served as Iowa’s ag secretary since 2006, and was 1995-96 president of the National Corn Growers Association and served as chairman in 1996-97.