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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins today announced a commitment to new actions to increase the number of rural food animal veterinarians across the U.S. and recruit new veterinarians to join the U.S. Department of Agriculture in their role to protect American ranchers, animals, and our food supply.
“With these new investments in scholarships and pay incentives, USDA is not only strengthening our animal food production system but also listening to producers and veterinarians across the country to ensure our programs meet real-world needs,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Secretary Rollins took the first step to issue a Rural Veterinary Action Plan that takes the following actions to tackle this challenge. USDA Economic Research Service will study this issue and produce a report in mid 2026 to be used by USDA leadership and other policymakers seeking to address this crisis.
To further understand problems and solutions, USDA will hold listening sessions between now and October 1, 2025, to hear from stakeholders to determine what additional actions can be taken to reverse these trends and recruit food animal veterinarians to USDA and rural areas.
USDA has a shortage of veterinarians for over a decade.
USDA news release
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