New White House Budget Proposal Slashes USDA Funding by $5 Billion

The White House’s plan calls for a nearly 20 percent reduction in the USDA’s budget, which would impact various food and agriculture aid programs.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — New details are emerging around federal agriculture spending as the White House releases a proposed budget targeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture. President Donald Trump’s latest budget proposal calls for cutting USDA spending by nearly 20 percent, or just under $5 billion, in the next fiscal year.

The plan describes parts of the agency as a “bloated Washington bureaucracy” and outlines reductions across several areas.

Some of the largest cuts would impact international food aid programs, including Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program. The administration argues that those programs are costly and slow to deliver assistance.

The proposal also supports previous efforts to move USDA staff out of Washington, D.C., and into regional hubs, saying the shift would better align with an America-first agriculture policy.

Related Stories
Diversified risk tools help protect farm income.
Farm Credit’s Christy Seyfert joined us to discuss the ag industry’s push for swift Farm Bill action as it heads toward a House vote.
Bridge payments are helping, but many producers still face losses and tight margins. AEM’s Curt Blades joins us to discuss how the current farm economy is pressuring equipment demand.
Extends Program Application Deadline to August 12
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins plans a farm visit in Missouri, hinting at a possible fertilizer relief announcement on RFD-TV earlier this week. USDA also restructures its research infrastructure and launches new food-safety centers.
Corn export demand remains supportive, but weak pork and rice sales show uneven global demand trends.

Knoxville native Neal Burnette-Irwin is a graduate from MTSU where he majored in Journalism and Entertainment Studies. He works as a digital content producer with RFD News and is represented by multiple talent agencies in Nashville and Chicago.


LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

The USDA is working with 14 different states, including Georgia, to develop and implement block grants to address the unique disaster recovery needs for each state.
The decline in production marks the second consecutive year of contraction in the U.S. turkey industry.
“Those could’ve easily been our beans going over there. It goes to show that if that opportunity is there, China would be willing to buy.”
We caught up with Karen Braun, Chief Market Analyst at Zaner Ag Hedge, at the Women in Agribusiness to discuss the data behind commodity trading.
Weston Brown joined us on Monday in the RFD-TV Studios in Nashville to share how he is preparing for the upcoming National FFA Convention & Expo.
Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn joined us Monday to share highlights from Secretary Brooke Rollins’ visit and her perspective on USDA’s new initiatives.