WASHINGTON (RFD-TV) — The federal government is now in a partial shutdown after the Senate failed to pass a resolution for continued spending. The lapse in funding means tens of thousands of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees are being furloughed, leaving many agricultural services on hold at the height of harvest season.
The USDA’s Lapse of Funding Plan (PDF Version) indicates that approximately 42,000 employees, nearly half of the agency’s workforce, are currently on leave. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) face the most significant disruptions, with roughly 6,000 of the 9,000 FSA employees and about 95 percent of NRCS staff furloughed. Food safety and inspection programs remain mostly intact, with only a small fraction of the agency’s 7,000 inspectors impacted.
Other critical functions are being put on pause, including market data, crop reports, and outlooks such as the upcoming WASDE report. The shutdown also delays disaster payments, market assistance, and sign-ups for conservation programs—national parks face closures, with open-air exhibits remaining open while staffed visitor sites close.
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says the department is working to ensure that farmers and ranchers retain access to “mission-critical programs,” even as other services halt. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden emphasized the importance of safeguarding rural communities during the shutdown, saying, “For everything this administration does, no harm must come to America’s farm and rural communities.”
Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) voiced frustration over the gridlock, calling the situation “unnecessary” and urging Congress to get appropriations bills to the Senate floor.
Meanwhile, the EPA reiterated its commitment to supporting farmers by continuing to utilize the best available science to ensure access to crop protection tools, such as pesticides.
The shutdown is yet another hurdle for producers navigating a challenging year marked by high input costs, volatile markets, and uncertain trade conditions.
