Trump looks south in naming ag secretary

Selecting a former Georgia governor over Midwest candidates, President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday that Sonny Perdue is his choice for secretary of agriculture.

In filling the last of his Cabinet positions just a day before being sworn into office, Trump left open the question of how he plans to deliver on promises made to rural voters widely credited with helping him win.

Perdue, a former Democrat who switched to the Republican Party before governing Georgia for two terms from 2003 to 2011, grew up on a farm and earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine. As governor, he also took conservative stances on immigration and voting rights and drew national headlines for holding a public vigil to pray for rain in 2007 amid a severe drought.

Perdue's selection appears to align with the desires of some on Trump's ag advisory committee. Members of the campaign group reportedly disapproved strongly of his early consideration of a Democrat - Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota.

Still, the selection drew notes of concern from some Trump supporters in Iowa.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Iowa Republican and farmer who previously tweeted support for elevating Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Bill Northey to the post, took to Twitter again soon after the announcement.

'Now that a person fr Southern Ag being named Ag Secy I'm interested in how MidWest Ag will hv a seat at the table.” he tweeted.

Later, he issued a statement saying he looked forward to meeting with Perdue.

'Understanding and having an appreciation of the institution of the family farm like we have in Iowa and the Midwest, which is the strength of American agriculture, is important,” he said.

Perdue served on Trump's agriculture advisory committee, which also included Northey, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and agribusiness executive and Iowa Board of Regents President Bruce Rastetter.

Rastetter confirmed he met with the transition team in December at Trump Tower in New York, but his name was not among those circulated in media reports as a finalist for the job.

In an interview Thursday with The Gazette, Rastetter called Perdue 'a very good pick.”

Like Grassley, though, he said it's important for an ag secretary to learn more about the Midwest.

'All of us are anxious to visit with him about the uniqueness of Midwest agriculture - corn, soybeans and ethanol and animal ag production,” he said. 'I think we're anxious to help him in his learning curve with all that.”

Northey also said in a statement he's eager to forge bonds with Perdue.

With Iowa being the nation's top producer of corn-based ethanol, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association expressed both support and worry.

Although Trump has stated support for biofuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard, that support is not widely shared among the Cabinet members he has picked.

'Having said that, there is concern in the Midwest that no Cabinet pick has a demonstrably pro-RFS track record and that there is no Midwestern representation in the Cabinet. ... However, we sincerely and emphatically urge President-elect Trump to create internal balance with his next round of agency leadership appointments, especially within the (Environmental Protection Agency). Ensuring some top appointees will bring pro-RFS views to any leadership discussion within EPA would go a long way to easing the increasing worries being expressed privately in many ag circles regarding Trump's agency picks.”

Trump's choice of an ag secretary took on added significance given his victory was bolstered by swing states with large agricultural industries including Iowa, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

He has said that regulations are 'undermining our incredible farmers,” and some observers expect cuts to environmental and conservation programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Many of the core tensions of the presidential campaign run through the agricultural sector - it tends to depend on immigrant labor, and it tends to benefit from and support free trade.

The economics of agriculture are particularly pronounced at this time, with net farm income declining for three straight years, from over $120 billion in 2013 to an expected $66.9 billion in 2016.

If confirmed, Perdue will take over from Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa Democratic governor.

Vanessa Miller, James Q. Lynch and Rod Boshart of The Gazette, and the Washington Post and Reuters, contributed to this report.