Missouri’s former state director of agriculture will return to the Trump Administration.

President-elect Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform Thursday, Jan. 16 that Richard Fordyce would become the USDA’s undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation beginning Monday, when Trump is sworn into office.

Fordyce, a fourth-generation farmer from Bethany, served as administrator of the Farm Service Agency during most of the first Trump administration, where he supervised the Market Facilitation Program that provided relief to farmers impacted by retaliatory tariffs. He previously served as Missouri’s Director of Agriculture from 2013 to 2017. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe applauded Fordyce’s appointment, posting on social media: “Richard’s leadership will be invaluable to farmers and ranchers across the nation.”