(St. Joseph,MO) The partial government shutdown is forcing cutbacks from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and could put a strain on farmers in Buchanan County. Starting Friday, December 28, all Farm Service Agencies (FSA) will be forced to close their doors until funding can be restored. Since the shutdown began, a number of non-essential USDA and FSA employees were placed on emergency furlough.

Employees at the Buchanan County FSA declined to comment on how the office closure will impact local farmers, but all payments through FSA, including Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments established to aid farmers hit by Chinese tariffs, will be put on hold.

For farmers needing additional information their loan status or payment information are encouraged to contact their local FSA. The Andrew County FSA office can be reached at (816) 324-3196, and the Buchanan County FSA office can be reached at (816) 364-3927.