(Washington, D.C., May 27, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced today 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.
“President Trump is committed to ensuring Americans have access to a safe, affordable food supply. 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,” said Secretary Rollins. “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. Policymakers across the federal government should come together to think through ways to continue these critical state meat and poultry inspection programs.
Agricultural State Leaders Voice Support from Across the Nation
“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 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,” said Ted McKinney, CEO, NASDA.
“In my tenure as Commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), I have advocated for our federal partners to fully fund the agreements with states. West Virginia has been a participant in the USDA State-Federal Cooperative Inspection Agreement for the last 54 years. The efforts of WVDA Meat and Poultry Inspection staff benefit both consumers as well as local producers looking to start or expand processing facilities. To properly support these efforts, funding must be a priority to maintain the 50/50 state-federal cost share. Therefore, we welcome and appreciate the additional funding to help support our local food system to shorten the distance food travels to our dinner plates,” said West Virginia Commissioner Kent Leonhardt.
