USDA
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced she will exercise the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) authority to provide a $14.5 million funding increase in reimbursements to states for meat and poultry inspection programs.
Without this funding, states may not have the resources to continue their own inspection programs that ensure products are safe, said the USDA in a May 27 release.
“President Trump is committed to ensuring Americans have access to a safe, affordable food supply,” said Rollins. “Today, I exercised my authority to robustly fund state meat and poultry inspection programs to ensure states can continue to partner with USDA to deliver effective and efficient food safety inspection.
“While the Biden Administration let this funding decline in recent years, the Trump Administration recognizes the importance of our federal-state partnerships and will ensure services that our meat and poultry processors and producers rely on will continue to operate on a normal basis. The president’s commitment is reflected in his 2026 budget proposal, which calls on Congress to address this funding shortfall moving forward.”
This is not a sustainable path forward, the agency said in its release. Policymakers across the federal government should come together to think through ways to continue these critical state meat and poultry inspection programs, said USDA.
Ted McKinney, CEO, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), expressed his support for the funding increase and said it will help ensure the safety of state-inspected meat and poultry.
"State meat and poultry inspection programs are vital to maintaining a safe and resilient food system, especially for small and medium-sized producers and processors,” McKinney said. “On behalf of the state departments of agriculture, NASDA applauds Secretary Rollins and USDA-FSIS for providing an additional $14.54 million to increase the reimbursement rate for this critical state cooperative agreement in this fiscal year. In recent years, USDA has been providing states with significantly less funding, challenging states’ ability to provide inspection services.
“Increasing the reimbursement rate for states participating in this cooperative agreement ensures that more efficient processing options for local livestock producers remain in operation, especially for smaller farms. We were also encouraged that the president's budget included a similar funding request for state meat and poultry inspection programs. We will continue to advocate for Congress to appropriate this essential funding. This investment helps safeguard consumers, supports farmers and ensures that state-inspected meat and poultry continue to reach American dinner tables efficiently and safely.”
Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, said, “The continued partnership between USDA and states to provide inspection services for meat and poultry processors of all sizes means food safety, food security and economic growth in rural communities across Oklahoma and the nation. Thank you, Secretary Rollins, for recognizing the vital part this cooperation plays and for supporting American agriculture.”
“State meat inspection programs play a critical role in ensuring the safety, quality and availability of our nation’s meat supply, and we’ve worked hard to expand market access for our producers through expanded capacity and the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program”, added South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Secretary Hunter Roberts. “South Dakota appreciates USDA’s continued commitment to working as a co-regulator to support food safety. This partnership is essential to protecting public health and supporting farmers, ranchers and local businesses.”