More than 15,000 employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have accepted financial incentives to leave their positions, according to a recent USDA briefing with congressional staff. The program, part of President Donald Trump’s initiative to reduce the size of the federal workforce, represents a significant shift for the agency that plays a critical role in U.S. agriculture, food safety, and conservation.
The voluntary resignation program was offered in two waves—first in February and again in April. In total, 15,182 USDA employees signed contracts to exit the agency, accounting for roughly 15% of its total workforce. The number is expected to increase further in the coming weeks, as employees over age 40 were granted additional time to decide, and some contracts are still being processed.
Among those leaving are:
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674 county-level Farm Service Agency (FSA) employees, who directly support producers nationwide.
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2,408 staff from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which provides technical assistance and manages working lands conservation.
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555 employees from the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), responsible for meat, poultry, and egg inspection.
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1,377 from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), potentially impacting emergency response, including efforts to contain avian influenza.
Despite these reductions, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has stated that core services will remain intact. Rollins has exempted 53 critical job classifications from the hiring freeze, including veterinarians, food safety inspectors, and wildland firefighters.
This move is part of a broader federal downsizing effort that has seen more than 260,000 civilian positions cut or vacated across federal agencies since the beginning of Trump’s second term. Many USDA employees cited job uncertainty and fatigue as reasons for accepting the buyout.
Swine Web Perspective:
The reduction of USDA staff could have ripple effects across the agricultural landscape, especially in areas like animal health monitoring, farm service delivery, and conservation support. While the administration maintains that essential services will continue, the departure of thousands of experienced employees raises concerns about continuity, responsiveness, and long-term capacity. Pork producers and other stakeholders should closely monitor how these staffing shifts may affect regulatory oversight, biosecurity response, and technical assistance in the months ahead.
