From fields to fridges: How the government shutdown is impacting farmers across America
The ongoing government shutdown is causing uncertainty for farmers, freezing critical aid and potentially leading to volatile food prices at grocery stores.
The ongoing government shutdown is causing uncertainty for farmers, freezing critical aid and potentially leading to volatile food prices at grocery stores.
The ongoing government shutdown is causing uncertainty for farmers, freezing critical aid and potentially leading to volatile food prices at grocery stores.
The government shutdown is causing uncertainty for farmers across the United States, as critical aid is frozen and food prices at grocery stores face volatility.
Wisconsin dairy farmer and President of the Wisconsin Farmers Union, Darin Von Ruden, said, "The biggest thing is the uncertainty, really not knowing what's going to happen."
This year, tariffs have closed markets, and rising costs are cutting into profits, with farm aid meant to ease that pressure now frozen.
Secretary Brooke Rollins from the Department of Agriculture explained, "With the shutdown, that aid has been frozen, but that is based on 2023 and 2024 farm losses. That is not based on the current loss that's happening."
Despite President Donald Trump's assurance that tariff revenue will be used to provide aid for farmers, the White House stated that more than $15 billion in farm aid has already been distributed, calling Trump "the most pro-farmer president of our lifetime."
It's not just aid on hold during the shutdown, though. Field offices that process farm loans are closed, and market data that helps set prices is not being released.
Von Ruden noted, "When those reports don't come out, that causes some friction, which always seems to lower prices paid to the farmers."
Dr. Patrick Westhoff of the University of Missouri said the immediate impact on grocery prices will likely be limited, but warned that missing market data could distort prices in the short term, and if farmers are forced out of business, consumers could eventually see higher costs in the long run.
“Markets don’t like uncertainty,” Dr. Westhoff said. “And when neither dollars nor the information is flowing right now, that’s a huge problem for the sector.”
Von Ruden also shared a message for the administration, saying, "You need to let farmers do what we know best, and make sure that we're protected financially, so that we can continue to do that."
Trump is set to travel to Asia later this week to press China for a new trade deal after Beijing reduced its purchase of American soybeans in response to U.S. tariffs.
Regarding SNAP benefits, the USDA has indicated that they are funded through the end of October, but the future remains uncertain. The agency has advised states not to send files that would load November benefits, which could result in millions losing access if the shutdown continues. Some states might attempt to fill the gap temporarily, but sustaining the roughly $8 billion monthly cost would be challenging.
In terms of negotiations between China and the U.S., Trump expressed optimism, expecting a "fantastic" trade deal with China. However, this confidence comes amid escalating tensions, with Beijing restricting exports of rare-earth minerals and the U.S. threatening to raise tariffs to 157 percent if no deal is reached by Nov. 1.
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