USDA Shutdown Puts Iowa Farmers in Limbo

MOVILLE, Iowa (AP) — The partial federal government shutdown is preventing farmers in northwest Iowa from getting needed assessments of crop damage from last week’s tornadoes.

As many as nine storms crisscrossed the region October 4th, flattening thousands of acres of corn and soybeans in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.

The Sioux City Journal reports workers in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency have been idled by the partial federal government shutdown. A damage assessment by the FSA is one of the first steps for farmers who sustained losses to qualify for low-interest emergency loans or debris-removal assistance.

Iowa state officials say farmers should contact their local FCA offices and follow the usual damage-reporting process once the government re-opens.