Proposed budget would cut USDA funding, programs

A budget proposal released April 3 includes a 19% cut in USDA’s discretionary budget spending, including cuts to several agricultural programs.

The President’s 2027 budget (.pdf) outlines the administration’s proposal for spending for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 and is typically used as a starting point for congressional budget negotiations. The $20.8 billion allocated for USDA includes a $150 million spending cut for National Institute of Food and Agriculture Capacity Grants, formerly known as Formula Grants and intended for land-grant institutions, schools of forestry and schools of veterinary medicine to fund research and Extension activities. 

The proposed budget also includes a $1.5 trillion spending request for national defense, a 44% increase, in addition to a $61 million spending cut for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, which funds programs including the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. and a $240 million cut for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program.

The budget also proposes $50 million for USDA to continue implementation of its reorganization plan.