A Texas native, Ms. Rollins worked in the first Trump White House and has also led two influential conservative think tanks.

The sprawling U.S. Department of Agriculture controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition.

President-elect Donald Trump picked Brooke Rollins as US secretary of agriculture, tapping a member of his first-term White House team and elevating another loyalist to his incoming administration.