Here’s how the government shutdown is impacting Kansas farmers

KANSAS (KSNT) – Since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1, many Kansas farmers have lost several crucial services they need to survive.

Since the Trump Administration took office earlier this year, Kansas farmers have been struggling. Whether it’s the trade war with China or the continuing government shutdown, there seems to be no end in sight for farmers across the county.

Many farmers rely on several government services in their day to day lives. Most crucially, regularly scheduled loan or payment programs associated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

These programs include several Farm Loan Programs, Crop Insurance Payments and Conservation Reserve Program payments. This money is used by farmers to start, expand or maintain family farms across the country.

“If a farmer is paying a loan through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), part of their payment comes from the sale of grain or cattle,” said Nick Levendofsky, executive director for the Kansas Farmers Union. “Because of the shutdown, the FSA can’t notarize these payments, which leaves farmers without any income.”

Beyond paying back loans, many farmers across the state rely on Crop Insurance Payments and Conservation Reserve Program payments. These payments are crucial for farmers to survive losses due to adverse events, or in the case of conservation payments, for retired farmers to continue receiving income at all.

Issues like this also compound. If farmers aren’t making any money, then they aren’t spending any money either.

“Its a ripple effect into rural communities,” Levendofsky said. “We don’t want to see anyone fail.”

Not only are farmers already struggling financially, but if nothing changes, then rural communities will also feel the impacts. Businesses may be forced to make tough decisions if they cannot continue to survive the government shutdown.

Beyond payments from the federal government, without the USDA weekly crop reports, the U.S. crop market is unmonitored, leaving sellers and marketers without crucial harvest information which is used to set commodity prices.

Although grain and crop farmers are struggling, cattlemen are doing well despite of the shutdown. With the high price of beef, cattle farmers have been able to endure some of the issues faced by other kinds of farmers. This too would be threatened if the administration goes through with it’s suggestion of buying Argentinian beef.

“This could tank U.S. beef prices,” Levendofsky said. “Hopefully Congress can come together because there is a lot riding on this.”

As it stands now, the Kansas Farmers Union reports that farmers and ranchers are only receiving $0.143 out of every food dollar spent at grocery stores. Profit margins like this are only worsened by government shutdowns.

“Farmers are resilient,” Levendofsky said. “We always try to find the silver lining, but it’s hard to right now.”

Levendofsky wants people to know that farmers are only about 2% of the population, and they create the feed, fuel, food and fiber the whole country relies on. He said the challenges they face are often created through no fault of their own.

Levendofsky said that if you can buy directly from a farmer, you should as that becomes money that stays within the community.

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