Justin Benavidez, who was chief economist for the House Agriculture Committee's Republican staff for the past three years, is succeeding Seth Meyer as USDA chief economist.
The department hadn't announced the hiring as of Monday, but Justin Benavidez, 34, was already listed in the position on the USDA Office of the Chief Economist website. An email, obtained by Agri-Pulse, was sent to OCE staff on Monday welcoming him to the role. The email said he had started work that day.
A USDA release on Tuesday confirmed that Benavidez was tapped for the position.
“As we thank Seth for his leadership, I am pleased to welcome Justin Benavidez to USDA as our new chief economist," said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. "Justin brings strong policy experience, deep roots in production agriculture, and a clear understanding of the economic realities facing farmers and ranchers. I look forward to working with him as we continue to put Farmers First and ensure USDA’s work is guided by sound, data-driven analysis.”
Likely one of the youngest, if not the youngest, individual ever tapped to fill the role, Justin Benavidez will be charged with “providing unbiased information and data-driven analyses of current and emerging issues impacting agriculture and rural America" as leader of the Office of the Chief Economist, according to USDA’s website.
The role has long been a career level, nonpartisan position with a key responsibility advising the agriculture secretary as well as public and private decision makers.
Benavidez succeeds Seth Meyer who held the role from 2021 until the end of 2025 before returning to Missouri to lead the University of Missouri’s Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute. Rob Johansson, now director of economics and policy analysis at American Sugar Alliance, held the role from 2015 to 2021.
“Seth Meyer has been a trusted and steady leader at USDA, providing rigorous, objective economic analysis that has helped guide USDA and America’s farmers and ranchers’ insights into complex commodity markets," Rollins said. "I am grateful for his years of service and the lasting contributions he has made to American agriculture."
A Tulia, Texas, native, Benavidez began his career at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension for seven years first as an AgriLife extension fellow in College Station before becoming an assistant professor and district economist based in Amarillo.
He completed his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at Texas A&M University.
For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.
Updated Tuesday with USDA confirmation of Benavidez appointment.
