SUPPORTING AMERICAN RANCHERS
Ranchers First
President Trump and the Trump Administration are honoring hardworking ranchers who feed our Nation by taking decisive action to give them additional tools to need to thrive and respond to market disruptions and natural disasters.
Presidential Action
Executive Actions
for American Ranchers
On September 4, 2026, President Donald J. Trump took executive action to support ranchers, including the following key provisions.
Combat Predation American ranchers should be able to protect the cattle they raise.
The Executive Order directs the Secretary of the Interior to determine whether gray wolves or Mexican wolves meet the criteria for delisting or downlisting under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and begin the process of delisting or downlisting them.
The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture are also directed to update their standards for compensating ranchers for losses due to predators, and to ease authorization for lethal removal when necessary.
Country of Origin Labeling Clear, honest country-of-origin information for American consumers.
American consumers deserve clear, honest labels — and country of origin labeling delivers that transparency.
Building on the voluntary Product of USA label, this Executive Order directs the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, to review its authorities related to mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef products through new regulations and legislative recommendations.
Advancing Competition and Accountability Strengthening competition and accountability in livestock and meat markets.
American ranchers should have access to robust market options and enhanced competition in livestock and meat markets by strengthening price competition for consumers, supporting pathways for small business growth, and maintaining continued access to high-quality American meat products from rural economies.
The Department of Agriculture is directed to prioritize investigations of practices (by Packers and other covered entities) under 7 U.S.C. 181 that restrains commerce or manipulate prices and directs increased federal resources, staffing, and investigative capacity to fulfill these investigations.
Additionally, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Justice are instructed to continue close coordination as outlined in the September 26, 2025, memorandum of understanding.
Under this Executive Order, the Department of Agriculture will report to the President current enforcement actions, resource needs, and a plan to further enforcement for the next year.
Expanding Market Access for Meat Products Expanding domestic market access while maintaining strong food-safety protections.
Recognizing the need to grow opportunity for U.S. ranchers to sell their products across the country creating competition and strengthening the national food supply chain, the Trump Administration is taking action to maintain strong food safety protections while accelerating wider domestic market access for U.S. meat products.
Across State Line Purchases - The Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, will expand food safety federal-state cooperative programs, like the Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program (CIS), to increase rancher options for shipping inspected meat across state lines.
Technical Assistance - The Food Safety and Inspection Service will create technical assistance and training program for small and very small meat processors.
Web-Resources - The Food Safety and Inspection Service will expand web-resources to be a “one-stop-shop” for small and very small processing options.
Increased Efficiency - The Department of Agriculture will modernize meat inspection to reduce burden and increase efficiency.
Cut Red Tape - The Food Safety and Inspection Service will identify and remove unnecessary reporting requirements and overly prescriptive requirements that do not undermine food safety to reduce administrative burdens.
Coordinator - The Department of Agriculture shall establish a coordinator position to implement these actions and serve as a conduit to ranchers and small and medium sized processors.
USDA Ranchers First Initiative
Actions for
American Ranchers
On August 31, 2026, Secretary Rollins announced the Ranchers First Initiative which is a sweeping package of actions to continue rebuilding the Great American Cattle Herd and put America’s ranchers back at the center of our nation’s food supply. On September 4, 2026, Secretary Rollins announced an additional four actions for the Ranchers First Initiative to that further support American ranchers.
1 New Tools to Support Heifer Retention Risk-management tools to help ranchers retain heifers and rebuild their herds.
The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) is developing a Beef Retention and National Development (BRAND) Endorsement under Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) Insurance to provide ranchers with more risk management tools to protect their existing operations and provide the security they need to confidently build their herd.
Using the BRAND Endorsement, ranchers will be able to insure the economic value of retaining a heifer for breeding over an extended period of time. BRAND will be a permanent tool that gives American ranchers the security to rebuild their herd, rather than forcing them to choose between today’s cattle prices and tomorrow’s beef supply.
Additional details will be made available as RMA fast-tracks the development of this policy and puts it before the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board of Directors for review this fall.
The BRAND Endorsement is expected to be available to all ranchers in early 2027.
Learn more about LRP and other crop insurance products available for ranchers.
2 ECP and Grassland CRP Maximization Disaster recovery support for ranchers enrolled in Grasslands CRP.
Ranchers who participate in Grasslands CRP will now have the ability to utilize the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to help rebuild critical infrastructure following disaster events, such as wildfire.
This flexibility will allow ranchers to bounce back faster than ever before following disaster events, providing much-needed stability for their operations. This action is a direct investment in rebuilding the Great American Cattle Herd by providing ranchers the assistance they need to rebuild critical infrastructure quickly and minimize long-term losses from disaster events.
Additional guidance will be available from FSA early fall.
3 Continuing to Revitalize American Local Processing Financing and coordination to strengthen regional processors.
Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA has taken significant steps to support small, independent, and regional meat and poultry processing plants, including the launch of the Small Processors Action Plan (PDF, 2.3 MB) and providing $500 million to help regional beef processing establishments navigate increased costs of acquiring cattle through the Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers (SPUR) program.
Now, USDA is entering the next phase of support for these critical establishments by creating the SPUR Guaranteed Loan Program to help processors continue operation, expand their footprint, and increase the variety of animal proteins being processed.
Additionally, USDA is establishing a Regional Processor Continuity Effort designed to strengthen regional processing capacity and improve business resilience across the agricultural supply chain. Through this initiative, the Department will provide timely coordination and support to help maintain operational continuity during periods of disruption. A key component of the plan involves actively connecting sellers with prospective domestic buyers, ensuring that regional processors can keep products moving, stabilize local markets, and maintain reliable access points for producers and consumers alike.
For additional information related to the SPUR Guaranteed Loan Program or the Regional Processor Continuity Effort, please email SPUR@usda.gov.
4 Prioritizing American Beef in Federal Spending Building demand for locally processed, American-raised beef.
Through various departments and agencies, the Federal government purchases a large quantity of beef each year through direct procurement and service contracts. These departments that purchase beef include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Department of War.
Similar to how USDA is already Incorporating Local Beef into Child Nutrition Program Meals, USDA is starting to work with our Federal partners to prioritize American beef in these federal purchases for use in prisons, hospitals, and related facilities that have food service.
By strengthening locally processed domestic sourcing requirements, USDA aims to bolster demand for American-raised beef and support U.S. ranchers within federal food purchasing programs.
5 Supporting Beginning and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Dedicated leadership to help the next generation enter agriculture.
According to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture, the average age of the American farmer is 58.1 and over 1.2 million producers are over the age of 65 compared to just 57,000 producers under the age of 25. It is clear now more than ever that we need more beginning farmers and ranchers.
Currently, USDA offers some dedicated help to beginning farmers and ranchers through various programs and services, ranging from farm loans and conservation programs to crop insurance and disaster assistance. The Chief Advocate for Beginning and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers will work across USDA to strengthen programs and resource usage, delivering on the ground results for farmers and ranchers looking to get their start in the industry.
Additionally, the Chief Advocate will coordinate with Congress, state governments, and other stakeholders to explore and build on the existing resources and flexibilities USDA has for beginning and veteran farmers and ranchers.
This coordinated effort will help rebuild the herd by breaking down barriers that keep beginning and veteran farmers from entering agriculture and address the unique challenges that these aspiring farmers face.
Backing and Delivering for American Ranchers
The Record
Most Pro-Rancher Administration in History
Explore USDA and Administration actions supporting ranchers, cattle markets, processing capacity, and the American beef supply.
Executive Actions 4 actions
2026 Ranchers First Initiative 9 actions
2025 USDA Beef Plan 20 actions
Additional Actions By the Trump Administration To Help Ranchers 11 actions
Resources
Resources for Ranchers
USDA programs, guidance and a direct way to submit questions or comments about Ranchers First.
Emergency Conservation Program
Disaster recovery assistance and program guidance.
Grassland CRP Fact Sheet
Information about Grassland Conservation Reserve Program.
Beginning and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers
USDA resources for producers getting started in agriculture.
Questions and Comments
Submit a question or comment about the Ranchers First Initiative.
