How Does a Government Shutdown Impact Agriculture?

Today marks the return of lawmakers and the start of a five-day countdown to avoid a self-imposed government shutdown. After certain House Republicans rejected the Republican efforts to pass a Pentagon funding bill, a shutdown could occur without swift negotiations. At this point, lawmakers in both chambers are set to return home with no scheduled votes this week. A federal impasse would significantly impact many key government reports, including the September jobs report and third-quarter GDP estimates.

The October USDA NASS phone surveys for next month’s production report will also be paused. However, other USDA critical services like phytosanitary certificates and grain inspection would continue as they are funded by user fees. The most locally felt impact would be the shutting down of local Farm Service Agency county offices. RMA’s October harvest price announcement wouldn’t be released at normal time, but other outlets and universities could likely publish the price based on daily settlement prices for futures. Essential RMA personnel could likely release the information during the shutdown or shortly after the government reopens.

Read more on how a government shutdown impacts U.S. agriculture here.