WASHINGTON — US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced on May 27 the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will increase funding by $14.5 million to reimburse states for meat and poultry inspection programs. The money will provide states that may not have the funds to continue inspection programs to ensure the safety of the food supply chain. The funding increase assures meat and poultry produced in the United States can safely make it to market and ultimately to the tables of families across the country.

“President Trump is committed to ensuring Americans have access to a safe, affordable food supply,” Rollins said. “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.”

The USDA said this funding is not sustainable moving forward, and policy makers in all departments of federal government need to come together to find ways to ensure state meat and poultry safety inspection programs remain intact.

State agricultural leaders from around the country voiced support for the funding.

“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,” said Ted McKinney, chief executive officer of Arlington, Va.-based National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). “On behalf of the state departments of agriculture, NASDA applauds Secretary Rollins and USDA-FSIS [Food Safety Inspection Service] 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,” McKinney added. “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.”