June 3, 2026 — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling met with local farmers Monday to hear their concerns as rising fuel and production costs take their toll.
During a stop at David Parker Farms in New Bern, farmers from Carteret, Craven and other N.C. counties joined in a roundtable discussion with Rollins and Brooks and spoke about issues facing eastern North Carolina’s agriculture and fishing industries.
Glenn Skinner, executive director of the North Carolina Fisheries Association, said he viewed the visit as a positive step. Skinner said he was pleased that the Department of Agriculture has created a new Office of Seafood dedicated specifically to the fishing industry.
“We generally haven’t been recognized as food producers and treated the same as farmers,” Skinner said. “So we’re really excited to have them here, and that’s a big deal for our industry to finally have a place to turn when you have an issue, somebody that you can call and hopefully get some resolution in the future.”