U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide an additional $14.5 million in reimbursements to state-run meat and poultry inspection programs. The funding, authorized under the USDA’s existing authority, is intended to prevent disruptions in inspection services that ensure meat and poultry products remain safe and accessible to American consumers.

“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,” Rollins said. “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.”

The funding increase will help maintain vital inspection services in state programs that often support small and mid-sized processors. Without this support, some states may struggle to uphold their inspection standards, potentially affecting the availability of locally processed meat products.

Ted McKinney, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, voiced strong support for the move. “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… This investment helps safeguard consumers, supports farmers, and ensures that state-inspected meat and poultry continue to reach American dinner tables efficiently and safely,” he said.

State leaders from across the country echoed this sentiment. Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur noted the importance of the USDA-state partnership for food safety and economic growth in rural areas. South Dakota Secretary Hunter Roberts added, “South Dakota appreciates USDA’s continued commitment to working as a co-regulator to support food safety.”

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig praised the announcement as a win for rural economies and local protein access, while Louisiana Commissioner Mike Strain called it “much welcome news.”

Leaders from Ohio, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Texas also commended Rollins and Trump for addressing longstanding funding concerns. Many noted that state inspection programs serve as a critical link between local producers and consumers and help strengthen food security by supporting decentralized processing capacity.

Texas Commissioner Sid Miller described the action as a “game-changer” for meat processors and livestock producers. “That’s what real support for American agriculture looks like,” he said.

While the increase addresses urgent needs in the current fiscal year, Rollins acknowledged the need for longer-term solutions. “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,” she said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is ramping up efforts to control the New World Screwworm with a $21 million investment in a new sterile insect production facility in Metapa, Mexico. The announcement came during a bilateral call between U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and her Mexican counterpart, Secretary Julio Berdegué Sacristán, as both nations reaffirmed their commitment to containing the spread of the destructive livestock pest.

The New World Screwworm, a parasitic insect that preys on warm-blooded animals, poses a significant threat to livestock health, rural economies, and national food security. It was eradicated in the U.S. in the 1980s through a coordinated regional campaign, but persistent threats in parts of Mexico and Central America continue to pressure the U.S. border.

“Our partnership with Mexico is crucial in making this effort a success,” Rollins said. “We are continuing to work closely with Mexico to push NWS away from the United States and out of Mexico. The investment I am announcing today is one of many efforts my team is making around the clock to protect our animals, our farm economy, and the security of our nation’s food supply.”

The USDA currently uses a sterile insect technique to control screwworm populations, relying on production and release operations based at the COPEG facility in Panama. Each week, up to 100 million sterile flies are dispersed by air in affected regions. The additional production capacity from the upgraded facility in Metapa will add 60 to 100 million sterile flies per week, doubling USDA’s reach and enabling a more aggressive push southward.

This expansion is part of a broader cooperative effort between USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and its Mexican counterparts. The agencies continue to meet regularly to coordinate surveillance strategies, streamline regulatory requirements, and enforce animal movement controls to contain the pest.

Last week, a Mexican delegation visited Washington, D.C., for technical meetings with APHIS leadership. In the coming weeks, a U.S. technical team will travel to Mexico to evaluate conditions on the ground and assist with surveillance improvements.

Meanwhile, USDA is maintaining its restrictions on live animal imports from Mexico to limit potential NWS transmission. These measures are reviewed monthly and will remain in place as long as the threat persists.

The new investment signals USDA’s long-term commitment to collaborative eradication strategies that defend both animal health and economic stability in rural America.

Texas lawmakers have taken a stance in the growing debate over the future of meat. Senate Bill 261, which prohibits the sale of lab-grown, or cell-cultured, proteins in the state, has passed the House of Representatives and is headed to the Senate floor for a final vote.

The bill, authored by state Sen. Charles Perry and sponsored by Rep. Stan Gerdes, is designed to shield consumers from what lawmakers and supporters describe as an untested and potentially misleading product, while defending the traditional cattle industry that plays a central role in the state’s economy and identity.

The Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association has thrown its full support behind the bill. Its president, Carl Ray Polk Jr., said the legislation is a much-needed defense against threats to the beef industry.

“Ranchers across Texas work tirelessly to raise healthy cattle and produce high-quality beef,” Polk said. “Our association is grateful for those legislators who voted in support of this legislation and understood the core of this bill — to protect our consumers, the beef industry and animal agriculture.”

Supporters of SB 261 argue that lab-grown meat lacks transparency and sufficient regulatory oversight. Though touted by some food tech companies and environmental advocates as a sustainable alternative to livestock production, cell-cultured proteins have yet to gain wide consumer acceptance. Critics also point out the absence of long-term data on health impacts.

If the Senate approves the bill, Texas would join a growing list of states pushing back against the emerging lab-grown meat industry. Six other states including Montana, Indiana, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Nebraska have enacted their own bans with other agriculture-heavy states are watching closely.

The final Senate vote on SB 261 is expected in the coming days.

»Related: Nebraska becomes 6th state to ban lab-grown meat