“The U.S. federal government shutdown that began Wednesday will halt some payments to farmers and delay access to federal farm loans, the latest blow for producers already facing low crop prices, record-high debts, and a trade war at the height of the fall harvest.” reports Reuters. On Wednesday, the scope of the shutdown’s potential impact to U.S. farmers was beginning to emerge. Even short interruptions in payments could deepen farmers’ economic turmoil. ‘It costs money to run those combines,’ said Chad Hart, agricultural economist with Iowa State University.”
The shut down effects the processing of farm loans and making payments to farmers, including billions of dollars in disaster aid contained in President Donald Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill. The USDA has stopped issuing weather-related disaster payments, accepting and processing farm loans, providing technical assistance for conservation programs, and swaths of other agency work.
- NAFB