US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says a government shutdown would be “incredibly disruptive” to millions of Americans, including farmers, USDA staff and needy families.
The Women, Infants and Children nutrition program would end immediately and SNAP food stamp benefits would stop after a month. As for how a shutdown may affect farmers……
“Now is the time when farmers are harvesting their crops, and they’re seeking marketing loans, which allow them and assist them in ensuring that they get a decent price for their crop. When we have a shutdown, Farm Service Agency offices in virtually every county in this country shut down, and those loans are not available.”
Vilsack says other USDA agencies are also in every county.
“It’s Rural Development offices, it’s NRCS conservation employees, it’s some of the forest service employees, it’s a lot of the researchers and people who work for the Agricultural Research Service, ARS.”
….and administrative staff, which Vilsack says anyone still working can’t do their job without.
Meanwhile, Texas A & M Extension Economist Joe Outlaw recently told a Farm Foundation panel discussion, things are a mess for doing a farm bill this year.
“If there is compromise, you may lose the Speaker of the House, if there is compromise, there are going to be people who are unhappy. The debt ceiling deal passed earlier this year put everything behind the ‘eight ball’ in terms of getting the farm bill done. When I saw the outcome of the debt ceiling, I said I didn’t think we’ll get a farm bill done for a couple of years—I still stand by that.”
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