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USDA lost about 20% of staff in first five months of Trump administration, inspector general report says

The USDA lost nearly a fifth of its staff earlier this year, according to the inspector general's report, with over 20,000 employees departing during that period.
Almost 75% of the departures occurred through the Deferred Resignation Program offered by the Trump administration as the USDA announced earlier this year plans to move thousands into five regional hubs.
Within individual sub-agencies, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture lost up to 35%, the National Agricultural Statistics Service and Farm Production and Conservation Business Center each lost over 30%, with additional exits via termination, resignation, retirement, and external transfer.
The inspector general noted the USDA's role as the 'front door' for U.S. farmers and warned that losing nearly twenty percent of staff risks increasing operational threats like avian flu, according to the report.
The inspector general published the report months after the U.S. Department of Agriculture reorganization plans, with The Associated Press contributing to reporting on the inspector general's findings.

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