Secretary Rollins Increases Funding to Reimburse States for Food Safety Inspections

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced 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. This funding increase ensures American produced meat and poultry can make it to market and onto the tables of families across the country.

“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,” said Secretary Rollins. She also called upon policymakers across the federal government to think through ways to continue these critical state meat and poultry inspection programs.

"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. On behalf of the state departments of agriculture, NASDA [National Association of State Departments of Agriculture] 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,” said Ted McKinney, CEO, NASDA. "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.”

“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”, said 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.”