USDA reopens 2,100 Farm Service Agency offices for $3B in aid

The Agriculture Department said Thursday it will reopen about 2,100 county Farm Service Agency offices nationwide during the federal government shutdown to help farmers and ranchers access roughly $3 billion in aid from existing programs. The agency said each reopened office will be staffed by two paid employees to process applications for farm loans, crop insurance, disaster assistance and other services while the wider federal workforce remains largely furloughed or working without pay.

A White House official said the administration will draw the money from the Commodity Credit Corporation, a USDA account that can be used to stabilize agricultural prices and support farm programs. USDA officials described the move as an effort to ensure critical services remain available during harvest season.

The offices will help producers enroll in programs and obtain payments that many farm operations rely on to manage cash flow. With harvest underway in many regions, farm groups and Republican lawmakers praised the decision as necessary to prevent disruptions in planting and marketing decisions. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven were among those who welcomed the...