Ted McKinney, Chief Operating Officer of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), recently shared the organization’s top priorities for the year with Farm Director KC Sheperd.
Speaking from the NASDA booth at Washington Watch in DC, McKinney highlighted the Farm Bill as the clear number one focus. Interestingly, NASDA also uniquely places PFAS contamination as one of its top priorities. Additionally, they are addressing a critical issue concerning cooperative agreements with federal agencies like the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), where proposed budget cuts are causing significant concern regarding food safety and processing line partnerships. Pesticide regulations also remain a consistent point of attention for the association.
McKinney expressed optimism regarding recent developments with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and pesticide regulations. “A lot of us were very worried about the Endangered Species Act. It’s not that we don’t care about endangered species; it’s how you will mitigate that. EPA has announced a change to the insecticide strategy and the requirements that will be handed to our State Departments of Ag. They then hand it on to the farmer, and they’re much more workable, much more flexible; so much so that we put a thank you release out when they were issued.”
He believes the current administration’s focus on reducing regulatory burdens will continue to yield positive changes. However, a significant obstacle identified by McKinney is the proposed cuts to cooperative agreements. “We’re facing cuts from not one but three entities, all in the spirit of food safety,” he said, then detailed the potential negative impacts, including limitations on expansion for small and medium-sized processing plants and challenges with inspection capacity, emphasizing the ongoing work with USDA and FDA to find solutions that ensure consistent and confident inspection services. McKinney sees a “ray of sunshine” in these discussions but anticipates needing a month or two for a clearer outcome.
Beyond domestic issues, McKinney emphasized NASDA’s significant international engagement. “Though NASDA would be seen as a state-oriented organization – and that’s who our members are – we are deeply, deeply engaged internationally. Each year now, we’re making about five outbound trips, and we’re now heavy into the inbound.”
He cited a recent visit from the UK focused on wood pellets as a sustainable fuel source, highlighting NASDA’s role in facilitating international trade opportunities. Regarding tariffs, McKinney acknowledged the complexities and the current administration’s approach to expediting trade negotiations. “I’m telling people, they better take their sedatives in the morning, replenish at lunch, and add two seat belts to every seat. But I’m encouraged that we’re looking more at transactional tariffs, not permanent, big tariffs.”
He urged patience, noting recent high-level trade meetings, and expressed hope for more fair trade outcomes in the near future.
