The ongoing government shutdown is impacting farmers and ranchers across the United States, according to a statement from the America First Policy Institute. Tate Bennett, Director of Rural Policy at AFPI, highlighted the challenges faced by those in agriculture due to the shutdown's effects on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Bennett said, "America’s farmers and ranchers feed the nation and world, yet they’re being forced to wait for the various tools they need at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)." The shutdown exacerbates existing issues in the agricultural sector, such as a $50 billion agricultural trade deficit and rising input costs that are reportedly 30 percent higher than usual.
Farmers from states like Kentucky and Kansas are feeling the pressure as they await governmental support. Bennett emphasized their need for "certainty, not obstruction," urging Congress to end what he described as holding "rural America hostage." He called for reopening the government to allow for progress in addressing these challenges.
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