Klobuchar Statement on Inspector General Report on USDA Staffing Levels

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released the following statement on the report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Inspector General on staffing levels at USDA. Klobuchar requested this report in March.

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture is the front door for America's farmers and ranchers, who are facing more uncertainty than ever. Rural Americans need a Department that is ready and capable of serving them. Particularly shocking is that the agencies responsible for assisting farmers and small towns lost a third of employees; the Forest Service lost nearly 6,000 employees; and the agency responsible for managing animal disease outbreaks lost nearly a quarter of employees. Losing nearly twenty percent of all USDA staff weakens the Department's ability to respond to challenges facing our farmers, leaves our food supply chains more vulnerable to threats like New World Screwworm and avian flu, and undermines efforts to drive the rural economy forward."

The OIG report found that USDA lost 20,306 employees between January 12, 2025 and June 14, 2025, representing a nearly 20% loss in overall USDA staffing. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) lost 2,105 (25%) of its employees, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) lost 1,647 (23%) of its employees; the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center lost 531 (33%) of its employees; the Forest Service lost 5,860 (16%) of its employees; and Rural Development lost 1,745 (36%) of its employees. Minnesota lost 481 (19%) of its USDA employees during this period.

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