The White House has released its budget recommendations for fiscal year 2026. For USDA, the Trump Administration cuts $754 million in discretionary funding for conservation technical assistance through the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The budget calls for $358 million in cuts to Farm Service Agency salaries and expenses. The budget document said the FSA is ‘staff-heavy’ and leased premises are underutilized. More focus will be on improving online services for farmers. The proposal eliminates the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program that buys commodities from U.S. farmers for foreign food donations. USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and National Agricultural Statistics Service budgets would be trimmed by nearly $160 million. The budget plan said it reduces funding for agricultural research projects that have gone beyond their ideal lifespan or are not a national priority. USDA Rural Development funds for broadband expansion are also eliminated
