Missouri Farm Bureau is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make the Farm Service Agency and Commodity Credit Corporation functions essential operations in a government shutdown.
Garrett Hawkins sent the request in a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday. He tells Brownfield if FSA offices close, disaster relief payments could be delayed even more than they are now, “There are a number of counties who are short staffed, there have been long in processing needs of farmers and ranchers in what has been a really difficult spring, summer, and now going into fall.”
Hawkins says agency leadership is working on contingency plans now in case Congress cannot meet their Saturday deadline and pass a continuing resolution.
