Farm Service Agencies temporarily open to assist farmers in limbo during govt. shutdown

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) - As the partial government shutdown hits its 28th day, Farm Service Agencies across Oklahoma have reopened temporarily to help affected farmers and ranchers.

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said Wednesday about 2,500 FSA employees were recalled to open offices on Thursday, Jan. 17, Friday, Jan. 18 and Tuesday, Jan. 22.

"FSA staff will be able to assist agricultural producers with existing farm loans and to ensure the agency provides 1099 tax documents to borrowers by the Internal Revenue Service's deadline," said Perdue.

The opening will also allow farmers who draw funds from the FSA to cash their checks.

"Imagine you're a young farmer with a wife and a couple of kids and you're holding a $15,000-$30,000 check for your crops and you know you have bills to pay and money in hand but can't turn the check into money to use to pay bills. That is very frustrating," said Rodd Moesel, president of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

Moesel said farmers who draw from the FSA funds need it to endorse their check to make a deposit in the bank.

"So checks for crops they grow, like soy bean, cotton or corn, those checks come in made out to both the FSA and to them," said Moesel.

While the temporary reopening will help farmers with existing loans and tax documents, Moesel said it will not help farmers as they work to move forward with their plans for the next growing season.

"This is time of year usually when farmers are making all those arrangements. They're deciding what crops they’re going to plant, what kind of lending they’ll need or support or equipment they need. They’re not going to be able to do any of that yet," said Moesel.

Not being able to plan for the next season or apply for new loans, Moesel said, could affect everyone.

"Our state is all woven together. Those of us in the city, we are able to do the things we do in the city because farmers are there to grow the crops and food. We can depend on that being there in grocery store and in restaurants. If those lines of supply ever get bogged down, the cities will fall apart. We all, depend on one another," said Moesel.