U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced today that she will exercise the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) authority to provide a “much-needed” funding increase of $14.5 million 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 which ensure products are safe,” USDA said in a statement. 

“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. … The President’s commitment is reflected in his 2026 budget proposal, which calls on Congress to address this funding shortfall moving forward.”

Ted McKinney, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), was among state agricultural leaders voicing support for the additional funding.

"NASDA applauds Secretary Rollins and USDA-FSIS [Food Safety and Inspection Service] for providing an additional $14.54 million to increase the reimbursement rate for this critical state cooperative agreement in this fiscal year,” McKinney said. “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.”