The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Palantir $PLTR Technologies signed a $300 million Blanket Purchase Agreement aimed at modernizing how the agency delivers services to American farmers and addressing farmland security concerns.
The agreement supports a National Farm Security Action Plan and builds on Palantir's existing work with the agency's land-management platform
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Palantir $PLTR Technologies signed a $300 million Blanket Purchase Agreement aimed at modernizing how the agency delivers services to American farmers and addressing farmland security concerns.
Under the terms of the deal, Palantir will deploy operational software designed to streamline how field staff and farmers receive support from the agency, with the partnership tied to the broader National Farm Security Action Plan. Palantir has previously worked with the USDA on a platform called "Landmark," through which the agency has shifted acreage reporting to a digital, self-service model for farmers. It will also support the agency's "One Farmer, One File" initiative.
"Protecting America's farmland is protecting America itself, and this work gives USDA the visibility and speed needed to safeguard our food supply," USDA Chief Information Officer Sam Berry said in a statement.
Foreign ownership of U.S. farmland has drawn attention in Washington in recent years, particularly regarding Chinese purchases. According to CNBC, analysts at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies have called on the USDA to overhaul how foreign land ownership is tracked under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, warning that current rules leave openings for rival nations to acquire strategic leverage through real estate purchases.
U.S. farmers have also faced pressure from an ongoing trade war with major trading partners. Although Trump rolled out a $12 billion relief package in December for farmers affected by the trade dispute, CNBC reports that the conflict in Iran has since driven up fuel and fertilizer costs through shipping disruptions, leaving producers weighing changes to what they grow.
Palantir was founded in 2003 and has built much of its business on U.S. government contracts, including defense work. The USDA agreement extends the company's footprint beyond military applications into agricultural policy and food supply management.
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