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Food supply

USDA Announces Commitment to Increase Rural Food Animal Veterinarians

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The United States Department of Agriculture has issued a press release announcing a commitment to increase the number of rural food animal veterinarians across the U.S. Through the Veterinary Services Grant Program, two awardees will receive funding to expand veterinary practices in rural areas of Mississippi. Secretary Brooke Rollins also launched the Rural Veterinary Action Plan to tackle the large animal veterinarian shortage in the U.S. The plan aims to enhance and streamline veterinary grant programs, analyze rural veterinary shortages, recruit and retain USDA veterinarians, catalog federal resources available to veterinarians, and work with stakeholders to understand barriers to entry and increase recruitment from rural areas.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Rural Veterinary Action Plan aims to tackle the large animal veterinarian shortage in the U.S. by enhancing and streamlining veterinary grant programs, analyzing rural veterinary shortages, recruiting and retaining USDA veterinarians, cataloging federal resources available to veterinarians, and working with stakeholders to understand barriers to entry and increase recruitment from rural areas.
  • Two awardees of the Veterinary Services Grant Program will receive funding to expand veterinary practices in rural areas of Mississippi, with a total of $125,000 in grants.
  • The Veterinary Services Grant Program will be streamlined to an online portal, effective later this year, to increase funding and reduce application complexity.
  • The USDA Economic Research Service will study the rural veterinary shortage and produce a report in mid-2026 to inform policy decisions.
  • USDA will work to make Federal service more attractive to veterinarians by offering special pay rates, increased tuition reimbursements, and a recruitment bonus.
  • The partnership with Mississippi Farm Bureau will create a one-stop-shop for Mississippi agriculture and rural businesses, consolidating federal office space and relocating employees to a safer, upgraded facility.
  • The new, modernized facility will save taxpayer dollars by consolidating duplicative and costly office space, while providing improved services to rural businesses in Mississippi.
  • Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized the importance of rural veterinarians in protecting the agricultural economy and preventing the transmission of animal disease, and committing to build back the first line of defense in the animal food production system.

Statistics:

  • The U.S. faces a shortage of rural food animal veterinarians, posing a threat to the safety of the U.S. food supply chain.
  • The Rural Veterinary Action Plan aims to tackle the shortage by increasing funding for the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program and the Veterinary Services Grant Program.
  • The USDA is investigating the use of special pay rates, increased tuition reimbursements, and a recruitment bonus to make Federal service more attractive to veterinarians.
  • The partnership with Mississippi Farm Bureau aims to create a one-stop-shop for Mississippi agriculture and rural businesses, serving over 200 recurring client farms.
  • The grant awards to Dr. Kimberely Klunk and Dr. Rachel W McCurdy Veterinary Services will support community needs assessment, procurement of new tools, and procurement of more efficient methods for transporting equipment to farm calls.

Sources:

  • United States Department of Agriculture (PDF, 1.2 MB)
  • Mississippi Farm Bureau
  • Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
  • Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves
  • Mississippi State University President Dr. Mark Keenum
  • Mississippi Farm Bureau President Mike McCormick

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