The Senate Committee on Appropriations recently approved on a 27-0 vote its fiscal 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to help rural America, support farmers and ranchers, secure the food supply and maintain nutritional support for low-income families.

The bill provides $27.1 billion in discretionary spending, including funds for the following US Department of Agriculture agencies important to animal agriculture:

• $3.6 billion for agricultural research programs, including $1.9 billion for the Agricultural Research Service and $1.7 billion for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. It fully funds the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility to protect animal agriculture from foreign animal diseases.
• $1.2 billion for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to help protect animal and plant resources from diseases and pests. It also provides funds to assist ranchers with the cost of electronic identification tags to comply with animal disease traceability requirements.
• $223 million for the Agricultural Marketing Services to market US agricultural products domestically and internationally, support domestic commodity purchase programs and provide market data to help producers make informed business decisions.
• $1.2 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service to promote the safety and productivity of the $186 billion meat and poultry industry by supporting nearly 8,000 inspection personnel for meat, poultry and egg products at more than 6,800 facilities.

The National Pork Producers Council supports the bill’s increases in funding for various USDA programs, particularly ones that benefit animal agriculture.

The annual agriculture appropriations law funds federal programs that support farmers, including farm loans, agricultural research and programs related to protecting swine health and preventing and preparing for foreign animal diseases. The bill will now be considered by the full US Senate.

Source: National Pork Producers Council