1. USDA Ramps Up New World Screwworm Fight
AgNewsWire.com
June 4, 2026
USDA confirmed the detection yesterday of a New World screwworm in a three-week old beef calf in Zavala County, Texas, about 60 miles from the Mexico border, and today officials laid out plans to keep it from spreading.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins updated the House Agriculture Committee Thursday morning. "It is a vexing challenge that we thought we had beaten in the 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately, that was wrong as the screwworm began to make its way back towards us in 2021. The way we defeated it before, you need about 400 million sterile flies per week to actually mate with the bad flies, sterilize them….Because over years, we had taken, we as a country, we as a hemisphere, had taken our eye off the ball thinking it was eradicated. We got down to only 100 million sterile flies in production a week in a facility in Panama."
Rollins says the administration has fast-tracked a facility being built right now in Mission, Texas. "That facility will come online next year. When it does, it'll produce about 300 million flies per week in addition to the 100 million from Panama. And then we outfitted an additional Mexican facility in Matapa for another 100 million," said Rollins.
In the meantime, Rollins says they will be focused on trapping, surveillance, and treatment. She participated in a press call with USDA and state officials on immediate actions being taken.
"We have a unified incident command team with the Texas Animal Health Commission and have deployed APHIS as of yesterday immediately down to the area. We've established a 20 kilometer control area, a zone around the detection and implement quarantines, movement controls and surveillance in this area. We've expedited the targeted release of millions of sterile new world screw worm flies by immediately deploying 4 million as of yesterday, ground release chambers in the area in addition to the 4 million sterile flies per week already being released aerially in the area," said Rollins.
Full text: https://agnewswire.com/2026/06/04/usda-ramps-up-new-world-screwworm-fight/
2. USDA Unveils New Framework for Migratory Big Game Conservation
USDA Press Release
June 2, 2026
Boise, ID ?-?The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today unveiled a new framework for migratory big game conservation, bringing together federal,?state?and Tribal partners across 17 states to address threats to big game like elk,?pronghorn?and mule deer.??
The?Migratory Big Game: A Framework for Conservation Action?is the?most unified, landscape-scale approach?undertaken by the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)?to?support big game conservation while?putting farmers and ranchers first by?keeping working lands working.???
USDA made the announcement at the summer meeting of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA)?to recognize the key role state?fish?and wildlife agencies play in managing wildlife species in the United States.??
"We know that?migratory big game?rely?on large and connected landscapes to meet their daily, seasonal and annual needs," said?Richard Fordyce, USDA's Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation.?"This new Framework for Conservation Action helps us better target our resources and align our efforts, which?benefit?wildlife as well as ranching operations. USDA introduced its first frameworks in 2020,?during President Trump's first term, and we want to continue using this successful model?of supporting wildlife and ranching productivity and operations."???
Full text: https://tinyurl.com/3mk8b38n
3. Large Animal Veterinarian Shortage Remains a Growing Concern
More than 500 U.S. counties currently face shortages of large animal veterinarians, according to USDA.
By Neal Burnette-Irwin
RFDTV.com
June 3, 2026
BOISE, Idaho - Large animal veterinarians have warned for years about a growing shortage across rural America.
Dexton Lake with Idaho Farm Bureau says lawmakers are looking at ways to get veterinarians to return to the state after schooling.
"Utah State University has opened its vet program, but they're also working on opening their building, and, as a result, their class size will double from 40 to 80 students. And so, we see this as an opportunity to be able to get into Utah's program because Idaho's a big state and not everybody wants to go clear to Washington state. There are folks who would prefer to go to Utah State, and so that'll be a conversation that we have next year."
According to USDA, more than 500 counties across the United States currently face shortages of large animal veterinarians. The agency says the issue spans 46 states and is at its highest level since 2010.
Full text: https://www.rfdtv.com/large-animal-veterinarian-shortage-remains-a-growing-concern
4. Farm animal welfare rules might be rolled back by Congress
By Kevin Hardy
KNOPnews2.com
June 3, 2026
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) - Congress is looking to roll back state animal welfare laws as it wrangles over reauthorization of the federal farm bill.
The farm bill, which Congress generally reworks every five years, includes money and federal rules for food assistance programs, farm subsidies, and other ag-related programs.
A pending version of the legislation includes the Save Our Bacon Act, which would block states from regulating the raising of livestock. The measure takes direct aim at California's Proposition 12, which requires farms to meet specific standards providing animals freedom of movement, cage-free confinement and minimum floor space.
A key component of California's law effectively bans hog sow farms from using gestation crates - pens so small that mother pigs can't even turn around. Currently, at least 15 states ban battery cages for egg-laying hens, gestation crates for sows or veal crates for calves.
5. USDA Announces Improved Support, Reduced Burdens, and $60 million in Investments to Support Small Meat and Poultry Plants [edited]
USDA Office of Communications Bulletin
June 3, 2026
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins launched the Small Processors Action Plan (PDF, 2.3 MB), a new set of actions to better support small and very small meat and poultry processing plants, improve customer service, and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens while maintaining strong food safety protections for consumers. Additionally, Secretary Rollins announced that USDA is accepting applications for the fourth round of the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program to expand American meat and poultry processing.
"Today's announcement marks another step toward rebuilding our domestic beef industry, the actions contained in the new Small Processors Action Plan modernize USDA's approach to the people and small businesses who process American locally grown beef and protein. We are removing overly burdensome red tape, improving service, and giving small plants the clarity and support these business need to operate safely, grow, and compete," said Secretary Rollins. "By expanding local processing capabilities, we're continuing to bolster our domestic producers, which are central to the President's Make America Healthy Again agenda."
Both the Small Processors Action Plan and the additional $60 million in funding for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program build on USDA's Plan to Fortify the American Beef Industry.
Full text: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAOC/bulletins/41a53f2
6. Animal Transport: Congress Should Consider Modernizing the Law to Better Protect Livestock
GAO-26-108123
June 4, 2026
What GAO Found
Transport of livestock animals can extend over thousands of miles. If not managed properly, this can lead to injury, illness, or death. The Twenty-Eight Hour law is the primary federal law addressing the interstate transport of livestock animals. Historically, the law's purpose has been to prevent cruelty to animals during transport by limiting the duration of confinement to 28 hours without humanely unloading them for feed, water, and rest. However, the law does not address other factors GAO identified that could help prevent such cruelty, including the animals' fitness for transport and unsanitary vehicles and equipment. Industry and other stakeholders have noted that addressing these factors provides multiple economic, safety, and health benefits, such as preventing the spread of disease.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken limited action to monitor interstate transport of livestock animals for potential violations because, according to officials, they do not have regulatory authority. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has not taken any such action because it does not have a role in or authority for ensuring welfare of livestock animals during transport, according to DOT officials. From 2013 through 2025, USDA referred one case involving a potential violation of the Twenty-Eight Hour law to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for enforcement, but no enforcement action was taken in that case. In general, the penalties and enforcement mechanisms are inadequate to incentivize enforcement, according to DOJ officials and other stakeholders GAO interviewed.
Full text: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-108123