WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture, joined by the Departments of Interior and Health and Human Services, and the Small Business Administration, announced a coordinated national plan last week to stabilize and rebuild America’s shrinking beef industry — a sector officials now describe as vital to both national security and public health.
The announcement comes amid growing alarm that the U.S. cattle herd has fallen to its lowest level in 75 years, while domestic demand for beef has climbed 9% over the past decade. According to USDA’s Beef Industry Plan White Paper, more than 150,000 cattle ranches — about 17% of all U.S. operations — have disappeared since 2017.
“America’s food supply chain is a national security priority for the Trump Administration,” said Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins. “We are protecting our beef industry and incentivizing new ranchers to take up the noble vocation of ranching.”
The USDA’s Beef Industry Plan lays out three strategic pillars: protecting and improving the business of ranching, expanding processing and market transparency, and building demand alongside domestic supply.
Protecting Ranchers and Rebuilding the Herd
A key feature of the plan is a new USDA–DOI Grazing Action Plan, which aims to reopen up to 24 million acres of currently vacant federal rangelands. The initiative will streamline grazing permits, align USDA and Interior Department regulations, and modernize outdated land management policies to increase access for ranchers.
Federal agencies will also coordinate to improve predator management and expand disaster relief programs such as the Livestock Indemnity Program and Livestock Forage Program, increasing payment rates and coverage for unborn livestock lost to predation or drought. The plan also expands crop insurance benefits for beginning ranchers, extending eligibility from five to ten years.
In addition, the USDA will prioritize veteran-owned ranches, channeling AgVets program funding to support veterans pursuing careers in ranching.
Expanding Processing and Market Transparency
To strengthen domestic processing capacity, USDA’s Rural Business Cooperative Service will launch a fourth round of Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program grants, offering up to $2 million per award and as much as $25 million in guaranteed loans for small processors. The Small Business Administration will provide complementary low-interest financing to new entrants in the sector.
The plan also commits to full enforcement of “Product of USA” labeling standards starting January 1, 2026, limiting the claim to beef that is born, raised, and slaughtered domestically. The goal is to ensure that U.S. producers — not importers — benefit from origin-based premiums.
To improve market fairness, USDA will expand its Cattle Contract Library and deploy LiDAR and AI technology to enhance cattle grading and data transparency at auction barns. The agency will also reduce overtime inspection fees for small and very small processors by up to 75%, easing production costs.
Building Demand and Strengthening Food Security
The administration’s plan extends beyond the ranch gate, encouraging schools to source locally raised beef through USDA’s Child Nutrition Programs and Farm to School grants. USDA and HHS will also collaborate on the upcoming 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, emphasizing protein-rich diets and whole foods as the foundation of national nutrition policy.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the reforms “restore grazing access on public lands to support the livelihoods of hardworking Americans in the ranching industry,” while HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. linked the initiative to national health goals, stating that “we cannot Make America Healthy Again without America’s farmers and ranchers.”
SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler added that the agency’s new loans will “strengthen the American beef supply — for consumers, our national security, and the proud American tradition of ranching.”
With the U.S. herd in decline and production costs rising, the plan marks one of the largest federal efforts in decades to stabilize cattle markets, expand processing capacity, and preserve the independence of family ranchers who form the backbone of the nation’s food supply.
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