DOGE announces $2.5 billion in USDA grant cuts, begins reviewing farm loans over $500K

On April 29, DOGE announces it has cut Department of Agriculture grants totaling $2.5 billion in award value. The same day, an internal USDA memo notifies staffers that DOGE employees will now review all farm loans and loan guarantees above $500,000, as well as loans to corporations and formal entities. DOGE''s presence at USDA has grown significantly since early 2025 after Secretary Brooke Rollins directed the agency to give the team "full access and transparency." DOGE members have administrative access to the National Payment Service, which controls government payments and loans to farmers. Prior cuts include cancellation of $1 billion in food purchasing programs for schools and food banks, termination of a $300 million land access program for new and minority farmers, and a freeze on USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant applications. USDA has also lost more than 24,000 workers through buyout programs since early 2025, straining Farm Service Agency offices that directly serve farmers. Many of the affected farmers are in rural counties that voted heavily for Trump.