The Farm Service Agency will temporarily reopen in order to perform limited services for farmers and ranchers in the next few days.
The Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday a recall of about 2,500 FSA federal employees Thursday, Friday, and next Tuesday. The office will be closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday.
“Until Congress sends President Trump an appropriations bill in the form that he will sign, we are doing our best to minimize the impact of the partial federal funding lapse on America’s agricultural producers,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a press release. “We are bringing back part of our FSA team to help producers with existing farm loans. Meanwhile, we continue to examine our legal authorities to ensure we are providing services to our customers to the greatest extent possible during the shutdown.”
The partial government shutdown has entered it fourth week, setting the record for the longest shutdown in U.S. history. During that time, hundreds of thousands of federal employees have either been furloughed or required to work without pay.
With the reopening of almost half of FSA locations, staff will be on site to assist with farm loans and ensure that tax documents are provided by the IRS deadline.
Perdue also extended the deadline for applications for the Market Facilitation Program, which was originally Jan. 15. The deadline will extend the number of days FSA offices are closed as a result of the shutdown.
The Market Facilitation Program provides partial compensation to farmers and landowners who experience losses due to trade disputes.
