USDA staffing losses create delays for farmers and rural communities (The New York Times): Farmers and rural organizations across the country are reporting growing difficulties accessing USDA services following a major reduction in the department’s workforce. In New Mexico, farmers Mary and Zachariah Ben waited months for approval of a USDA loan they planned to use to purchase 47 acres and expand their organic baby food business. With federal staffing depleted and only a handful of loan specialists remaining in the state, the couple turned to private financing to complete the purchase, ultimately paying more than $200,000 in additional interest. Their experience reflects broader concerns that reduced staffing is making it harder for farmers to access loans, grants and technical assistance.
More than 20,000 USDA employees left the department during the first half of 2025, according to an inspector general report, and the Farm Service Agency now has no staff in dozens of counties. Rural Development, which provides financing and infrastructure support to rural communities, has lost roughly 1,700 employees, or more than one-third of its workforce. The resulting delays have affected organizations as well as farmers. In New Mexico, a food pantry operated by Casa de Peregrinos is still waiting for $300,000 in USDA funding, forcing the organization to rely on temporary financing and operate from an inadequate facility. The delays have contributed to the project’s cost rising from $475,000 to $600,000.
Staff reductions are also affecting USDA conservation programs. The Natural Resources Conservation Service has lost more than 2,700 employees, nearly a quarter of its workforce, leaving some field offices stretched across large geographic areas and contributing to missed deadlines and payment delays. Nebraska farmer Clay Govier said his local conservation office is operating with about half its previous staffing, while Pennsylvania rancher Amanda Butterfield said she has increasingly relied on private consultants after USDA staff became overextended. The Trump administration has defended the reductions as necessary to reduce federal spending and says technology and more targeted services will compensate for fewer employees. However, proposed budget cuts and plans to relocate USDA employees out of Washington could further reduce the department’s capacity to deliver programs that farmers and rural communities rely on.
White House expands beef imports in bid to lower prices (Agri-Pulse): The Trump administration is moving to increase U.S. imports of lean beef trimmings used in ground beef, with up to 300,000 metric tons eligible to enter the country at reduced tariff rates over a three-month period beginning Sept. 1. The additional imports will be divided into three 100,000-metric-ton allotments opening each month through November. The administration says exporters have agreed to sell the beef at 25% below market prices, with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer responsible for monitoring whether exporters follow through. The move is intended to put downward pressure on beef prices for consumers ahead of the midterm elections.
The policy has drawn concern from cattle producers and industry representatives who argue that cheaper imported beef could undermine efforts to rebuild the U.S. cattle herd. The national herd is at its lowest level since the 1950s, and ranchers have been encouraged by stronger cattle prices to begin expanding production. The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association criticized the import increase as a short-term solution that could weaken the market signals needed to encourage producers to invest in herd expansion. Industry representatives also question whether the additional imports will actually reduce retail prices for consumers in a meaningful or lasting way.
The administration’s decision also raises questions about how much of the additional beef will represent new supply versus imports that would have entered the country anyway at a later date. Industry representatives said lower duties could encourage importers to accelerate shipments, potentially increasing supplies in the short term. While additional imports may provide some temporary relief for consumers, beef industry analysts say addressing the underlying supply shortage will require rebuilding the domestic herd. Suggestions include investments in infrastructure and drought-related challenges, as well as policies that provide ranchers with stronger incentives to expand cattle production rather than relying on imports to address high prices.