Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 5/14/18

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Friday cemented components of his USDA reorganization in a final rule published in the Federal Register.

To see the final rule, click here. 

The rule formally establishes the department's new undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs post and shifts under that mission area the U.S. Codex Office, which helps develop international food standards to protect public health and ensure fair trade. Bill Northey's title is officially changed to undersecretary for farm production and conservation, and authority over the Natural Resources Conservation Service is now under that mission area.

Two organic cost-share programs shift: The administrator of the USDA Farm Service Agency has authority over two initiatives that assist the organic industry: the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program, which is available to both farmers and handlers across the country; and the Agricultural Management Assistance Organic Certification Cost Share Program, which is offered to only crop and livestock operations in 16 states. The former was overseen by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, while the latter administered by the undersecretary for natural resources and environment.

The broadening of general counsel's authority: The final rule also secures the additional authorities that Perdue gave the USDA general counsel, which were announced in a memorandum at the beginning of the year. These include requiring the office to review and agree to settlement agreements above certain monetary thresholds before being carried out. For non-personnel agreements, the threshold would be $500,000, while for personnel it would be $50,000.

Adds to USDA leadership: Perdue also added to his leadership team on Friday. He announced that Carmen Rottenberg and Paul Kiecker have been appointed to top posts at USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service. Bruce Summers was named administrator of USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service.

Ray Starling will leave the National Economic Council as a special assistant to the president and move to USDA as Perdue's chief of staff, the White House confirmed in an email Friday.

And Richard Fordyce was chosen as administrator of USDA's Farm Service Agency, which has broad responsibilities for programs like commodity subsidies and disaster assistance loans. He will also oversee FSA's network of 50 states and more than 2,100 county offices across the country.