USDA reopening some 2,100 offices despite ongoing shutdown

The United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, was reopening about 2,100 county offices all across the country Thursday despite the ongoing government shutdown to help farmers and ranchers get access to US$3 billion of aid from existing programs.

The USDA said each Farm Service Agency office will have two workers who will be paid even though the government remains shutdown. These offices help farmers apply for farm loans, crop insurance, disaster aid and other programs. Thousands of other federal employees like air traffic controllers are working without pay during the shutdown.

Some farmers and ranchers have been unhappy with President Trump’s latest moves although his support remains strong across rural America.

Just this week, ranchers were unhappy with Trump’s idea to import more beef from Argentina because that could hurt their profits, and earlier this month soybean farmers complained that a US$20 billion aid package for Argentina allowed that country to sell soybeans to China. Farmers are also still waiting on details of an aid package Trump promised to help them survive his trade war with China, but that aid has been put on hold because of the shutdown.

“President Trump will not let the radical left Democrat shutdown impact critical USDA services while harvest is under way across the country,” the USDA spokesman said.

A White House official said the administration is using funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation, a USDA agency that addresses agricultural prices. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the administration’s plans were not yet publicised.

Republicans like Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and North Dakota Senator John Hoeven along with farm groups like the National Corn Growers Association and Illinois Soybean Association praised the move while Democrats accused the administration of using farmers as political pawns in the shutdown fight.

Both parties have been unable to reach an agreement to fund the government and end the shutdown that began October 1.

Kenneth Hartman Jr, who is chairman of the Corn Growers Association, said this is a crucial time because farmers are getting ready to place orders for next year’s seed and fertiliser right now as well as settling up with the bankers for this year’s operating loans. And farmers are grappling with soaring costs.

“Because of the inflation factor, the farm economy is really in a critical situation here. So anything that the farmers can get when it comes to support from the farm programs from the farm bill of last year, we need to get that open and get that money out to them,” said Hartman, who is in the middle of harvesting his crop near Waterloo, Illinois.

AP