USDA to Reopen 2,100 FSA Offices to Move $3B in Aid to Farmers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says roughly 2,100 Farm Service Agency offices will partially reopen today so producers can access about $3 billion in assistance from existing programs, even as the federal government remains shut down.

The USDA says each county office will operate with two employees on site, five days a week. Offices will resume core functions such as farm loan processing, Agriculture Risk Coverage/Price Loss Coverage payments, disaster relief payments, and accepting applications tied to programs funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation, however some services not CCC-funded will remain limited.

According to The Associated Press, a USDA spokesperson said the move reflects the administration’s push to keep farm services running during harvest. “President Trump will not let the radical left Democrat shutdown impact critical USDA services while harvest is underway across the country,” the USDA spokesman said. Officials indicated CCC funds are being used to support operations during the closure.

Republican lawmakers and several commodity groups praised the reopening, while Democrats criticized the timing and the broader shutdown fight.

“With farm country being in the middle of harvest season, producers cannot afford delays in these programs,” North Dakota Republican Sen. John Hoeven said. “They are essential to help producers maintain their operations, especially when facing challenging markets.”

From the other side of the aisle, House Agriculture Committee Democrats posted that the decision shows the administration “could have supported farmers all along, but you chose not to because you’d rather use farmers’ pain to score cheap political points while increasing the cost of living for ordinary Americans by making food and health care more expensive.”

Rep. Angie Craig, the committee’s ranking Democrat, added: “I am glad the administration is finally doing right by America’s farmers by partially opening FSA offices, though I question why the administration waited so long and made this decision only after putting farmers through three weeks of uncertainty.”

Roughly 2,100 FSA offices operate nationwide, and starting Thursday, each county location will be staffed by two employees working five days a week. A USDA spokesperson said staff will carry out regular duties for programs funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation while also accepting applications and information for other programs.