Ag producers hoping to receive a second round of payments to offset the United State’s ongoing trade war with China won’t get those until the federal shutdown ends.
Last week, the US Department of Agriculture said assistance checks would go out during the first week of the shutdown, which ended Friday. However, direct payments for producers who haven’t certified their production will be put on hold this week. So will farm loan and disaster assistance payments.
The deadline to sign up for the second round of tariff-offset payments is Jan. 15. The USDA has close to $10 billion earmarked for that program.
Other USDA programs are continuing but will be impacted if there is a long-term shutdown:
*Eligible SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, recipients are guaranteed benefits through January.
*WIC, or Women, Infants and Children, will continue on a local level to provide food aid and nutrition counseling. Additional federal funds will not be provided.
*School lunch programs will be funded through February.
