Twenty-five US Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency offices in South Dakota will reopen temporarily in the coming days to perform limited services for farmers and ranchers.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has recalled about 2,500 FSA employees to open offices tomorrow, Friday and Tuesday (Jan. 17, 18 and 22) during normal business hours. The offices will be closed for the federal Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday (Jan. 21).
FSA staff will be available in person during this three-day window, but most available services can be handled over the phone. Producers can begin contacting staff tomorrow (Jan. 17)(here).
Additionally, farmers who have FSA loan deadlines during the government shutdown don’t need to make payments until the shutdown ends. And, Perdue says the Jan. 15 Market Facilitation Program application deadline will be extended to a date to be determined once all USDA employees are back at work.
More information on MFP is available at www.farmers.gov/manage/mfp.
