Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy Visit Texas to Meet with Farmers – Provides Update on New World Screwworm

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins visited Texas with U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to discuss food security and learn how America’s farmers are working to Make America Healthy Again. During the visit, Secretary Rollins met at the Texas A&M Beef Center to provide an update on the status of the New World Screwworm. Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy visited cutting-edge laboratories at the Texas A&M Norman E. Borlaug Building, received a briefing on the Grand Nutrition Challenge at the Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture. The Secretaries then toured the Automated Precision Phenotyping Greenhouse in addition to touring the fourth-generation Sawyer Farms who are utilizing stewardship practices to ensure healthy production of a robust barley, rye, corn, and wheat crop.

“Making America Healthy Again starts with supporting America’s farmers and ranchers. In Texas, I was joined by Secretary Kennedy to do just that. At USDA, I am negotiating with Mexico to stop the spread of invasive species like the New World Screwworm, and Secretary Kennedy and I are working together to ensure that our kids and families are consuming the healthiest food produced in the U.S.A.,” said Secretary Rollins.

“It was an honor to join Secretary Rollins in her home state of Texas,” said Secretary Kennedy. “Together, HHS and USDA are taking on the chronic disease epidemic by fixing our broken food system and giving families the tools they need to eat well, stay healthy, and Make America Healthy Again.”

Over the weekend, Secretary Rollins sent a letter to her counterpart in Mexico demanding Mexico eliminate impediments on aircraft operations and landings that are critically impairing the U.S. response to combat the ongoing spread of the New World Screwworm across Mexico, thereby preventing it from entering the United States. Secretary Rollins also announced a major win for American agriculture yesterday by securing the agreement of the Mexican government to meet the current water needs of farmers and ranchers in Texas as part of the 1944 Water Treaty. The Mexican government committed to transfer water from international reservoirs and increase the U.S. share of the flow in six of Mexico’s Rio Grande tributaries through the end of the current five-year water cycle. While negotiations were ongoing with Mexico, Secretary Rollins announced a $280 million grant agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to provide critical economic relief to eligible Rio Grande Valley farmers and producers suffering from Mexico’s ongoing failure to meet its water delivery obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty. In the first 100 days of the Trump Administration, Secretary Rollins has affirmed the bold leadership of President Donald J. Trump by supporting America First Policies.

At the direction of President Trump, USDA and HHS are ensuring programs work harder to encourage healthy eating and lifestyle habits. As part of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission led by Secretary Kennedy, this work will not only research and report the many reasons children face unbelievable rates of diet-related disease like obesity and diabetes but also how government can implement change through things like revised dietary policy, state innovation, and less regulation. The visit to Texas A&M Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture (IHA) included amplifying the HHS and USDA commitment to a timely and consumer-facing Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). On March 11, 2025, after the inaugural meeting of the Make America Healthy Again Commission, Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy announced a commitment to a final DGA no later than December 31, 2025. Secretary Rollins has taken major steps to Make America Healthy Again through encouraging states to reform SNAP and nutrition education services. The MAHA movement at USDA has also supported major voluntary changes to make food healthier, including applauding the dairy industry for voluntarily removing artificial colors from the National School Lunch Program.

Earlier today, USDA introduced funding for the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program to assist specialty crop growers with rising input costs and aide in the expansion of domestic markets. This would support Texas producers as they grow fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts and other specialty crops to Make America Healthy Again. USDA has also awarded over $521 million to 19,675 farmers in Texas through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year.