On Feb 13, thousands of federal workers were laid off, including employees of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at various places like the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, National Centers for Animal Health, and the newly built National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. The layoffs were executed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, as part of a strategy to reduce wasteful government spending.
Keiran Bray, a freshman in agribusiness who grew up on a cattle ranch in southwest Colorado and has occasionally worked with the USDA for grant funding, expressed that she believes the layoffs “will be a good thing in the future.” Additionally, Bray has no concerns over finding a job in the agriculture sector.
However, not everyone shared this optimistic view. Luke Tobin, a 24-year-old forestry technician, reported to AP News that he earned $19 an hour while working for the U.S. Forest Service and frequently faced furloughs, calling the rationale behind the layoffs laughable.
The exact number of those laid off is unknown, but it was reported that probationary positions were specifically targeted. Probationary employees have fewer legal protections against termination compared to permanent employees. While they cannot be fired without cause, they have less security than their permanent counterparts.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins released a statement on Feb 14 supporting President Trump and DOGE, stating, “We have a solemn responsibility to be good stewards of the American people’s hard-earned taxpayer dollars and to ensure that every dollar spent goes to serve the people, not the bureaucracy.” Following this, the USDA released a statement acknowledging the layoffs of probationary employees. “Secretary Rollins is committed to preserving essential safety positions and will ensure that critical services remain uninterrupted,” the statement said.
Concerns were raised regarding the impact on ongoing research. Ethan Roberts, the union president of Local 3247 of the American Federation of Government Employees, representing the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, highlighted that projects related to counteracting bird flu, developing disease-resistant corn, improving food quality, and combating red crown rot are underway. Roberts believes the government layoffs will negatively impact this research.
“I think that it might delay some research at the beginning, but in the long run, I don’t see much effect,” Bray said, “Once everything starts to settle down again, I can see the necessary research going back to normal and farms and ranches not really being affected.”
