Entity: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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U.S. Department of Agriculture

38 Facts
56 Related Topics
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that wholesale turkey prices would rise 44% in 2025.
November 23, 2025 high temporal
USDA wholesale price projection for turkeys in 2025 amid reduced flock sizes.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees federal school meal programs.
November 21, 2025 high temporal
The USDA administers nationwide school meal programs such as the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.
Interruptions, delays, or reductions in federal food assistance programs or in federal food deliveries can increase demand on local food banks and pantries.
November 07, 2025 high causal
Changes in the availability of government-provided food benefits or supply can shift unmet needs onto community-based food assistance providers.
A 2025 analysis by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities found that roughly 40% of SNAP households receive the maximum allowable benefit amount.
November 06, 2025 high temporal
Distribution of benefit levels among SNAP households as estimated by CBPP.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture maintains a contingency fund that can be used to provide SNAP benefits when regular funding is unavailable or in emergency situations.
November 04, 2025 high temporal
Contingency funds are an institutional mechanism to continue benefit payments during funding disruptions.
Many U.S. state systems that process SNAP benefits are decades old and such outdated processing systems can cause delays in benefit distribution of weeks or months.
November 04, 2025 high temporal
Aging technical infrastructure at the state level can delay delivery of federal benefits.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture can tap contingency funds to allow states to issue partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during a food-aid shortfall.
November 04, 2025 high policy
Contingency funding mechanism for SNAP benefit continuity during funding shortfalls
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that about 25% of active-duty military members experienced food insecurity (statistic cited in 2025 coverage).
November 02, 2025 medium temporal
Preexisting USDA estimate of food insecurity among active-duty military personnel referenced in 2025 reporting.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal agency responsible for administering SNAP benefit payments.
November 01, 2025 high descriptive
Administrative authority over the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees national food and nutrition assistance programs, including SNAP, and issues guidance that states use to calculate household SNAP benefit allotments.
November 01, 2025 high administrative
Roles and responsibilities for program administration
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that SNAP recipients receive an average of $187 per month on a prepaid card to buy groceries.
October 31, 2025 high statistic
Average monthly benefit amount for SNAP recipients as reported by USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that more than one in eight Americans depend on food stamps from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
October 31, 2025 high statistic
Proportion of the U.S. population reported to rely on SNAP benefits
As of 2025, roughly 42 million Americans relied on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits delivered monthly via electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
October 30, 2025 high statistical
SNAP program caseload and benefit delivery method.
An estimated $9.2 billion is the cost to fund one month's SNAP benefits (November 2025), while the U.S. Department of Agriculture's contingency fund was reported to contain around $5 billion.
October 30, 2025 high statistical
Estimated one-month SNAP funding requirement and size of USDA contingency fund.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains contingency funds that can be used to sustain federal nutrition assistance programs during funding interruptions.
October 27, 2025 high temporal
Policy mechanism for funding continuity of nutrition assistance programs.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the federal food assistance program formerly known as "food stamps".
October 22, 2025 high temporal
Official program name and historical name for the U.S. federal food assistance program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and issues guidance to state agencies on SNAP benefit distribution and program operations.
October 20, 2025 high temporal
Program administration
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federally funded food assistance program in the United States.
October 16, 2025 high definition
General definition of SNAP
Federal government shutdowns can halt the collection and public release of official statistics produced by agencies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Census Bureau, including labor market, public health, agricultural, and demographic data.
October 11, 2025 high temporal
Describes the operational effect of federal funding gaps on statistical data collection and dissemination.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is federally funded and overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), while state governments are responsible for administering benefits and setting their own disbursement dates.
October 10, 2025 high process
Description of the federal-state division of responsibilities in SNAP administration.
In 2024, China purchased $12.6 billion worth of soybeans from the United States, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
December 31, 2024 high temporal
Annual value of U.S. soybean exports to China for calendar year 2024.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service data covering the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 (Oct 1–Dec 31, 2024) showed more than 226,000 fraudulent SNAP benefit claims, more than 691,000 unauthorized SNAP transactions, and reported stolen benefit claim counts of over 26,000 for Alabama, 25,818 for California, and 25,210 for New York.
October 01, 2024 high temporal
Initial state-reported SNAP fraud and unauthorized-transaction counts submitted to USDA covering FY2025 Q1.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National School Lunch Program served about 30 million children in 2019.
January 01, 2019 high statistical
Participation statistic for the federally funded school lunch program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National School Breakfast Program served more than 14 million children in 2016.
January 01, 2016 high statistical
Participation statistic for the federally funded school breakfast program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Household Food Security Survey was conducted annually beginning in 2001 and historically surveyed about 30,000 people per year.
January 01, 2001 high temporal
Historical scope and sample size of the USDA's annual national food-security survey.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) accepts consumer complaints about food products, and such complaints can prompt FSIS investigations or regulatory actions.
high procedural
FSIS is the USDA agency responsible for inspecting and regulating meat and poultry products; consumer complaints are a pathway for identifying potential food safety issues.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the U.S. Forest Service.
high organizational
Administrative oversight relationship between a federal department and an agency.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture update the Dietary Guidelines for Americans every five years.
high temporal
Describes the statutory update cycle for the federal dietary guidance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
high administration
Federal oversight of SNAP is handled by the USDA, which communicates with state agencies about program operations and funding.
SNAP maintains a contingency reserve estimated at about $5 billion intended to help cover emergencies and shortfalls, and U.S. Department of Agriculture contingency funding for SNAP is intended to provide food assistance in disasters and emergencies such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods.
high policy/statistical
Description of SNAP's reserve funds and the intended uses of USDA contingency funding.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as the food stamp program, covers approximately 40 million Americans.
high statistical
Scope of SNAP recipient population
Several federal buildings in Washington, D.C. serve as agency headquarters: the Frances Perkins Federal Building (U.S. Department of Labor), the James V. Forrestal Building (U.S. Department of Energy), the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building (U.S. Office of Personnel Management), the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development), the Department of Agriculture South Building (U.S. Department of Agriculture), and the Hubert H. Humphrey Federal Building (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
high descriptive
Names of notable federal buildings in Washington, D.C. and the agencies headquartered there.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports typical annual nationwide funding for SNAP is about $99.8 billion, which corresponds to roughly $187.20 per participant per month.
high statistical
Program funding and per-participant average
The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides states with information and guidance needed to calculate and distribute SNAP benefits.
high temporal
Role of the federal agency in supporting state administration of SNAP.
SNAP maintains contingency or reserve funds that the USDA can use to provide or partially provide benefits to eligible households when regular appropriations or normal funding are interrupted.
high process
Explains a durable funding mechanism used to maintain benefit payments during funding disruptions.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
high administrative
SNAP is a federal nutrition assistance program administered and funded via the USDA.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issues guidance and directives regarding SNAP benefit issuance, while individual U.S. states administer and implement the distribution of SNAP benefits to residents.
high administrative
USDA oversees federal SNAP policy and can direct states on implementation; states operate the program at the level of benefit issuance to participants.
Local school officials routinely coordinate with multiple federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers federal school meal programs.
high operational
Common, ongoing coordination between local education agencies and federal program administrators.