Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says starting Thursday January 24, all Farm Service Agency offices will open and offer a longer list of transactions they will accommodate including market facilitation program payments as well as over a dozen other services. South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke says that’s somewhat positive for farmers but it’s still tough on government employees.
He says even though President Trump has already signed legislation that guarantees employees will receive all backpay missed during the lapse in funding, the government still needs to be reopened.
Sombke says it’s time for both the President and Congress to do their job and get government back up and operating and end the political bickering.
USDA has temporarily recalled all of the more than 9700 FSA employees to keep offices open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays starting January 24. For the first two full weeks under this operating plan (January 28 through February 1, and February 4 through February 8, offices will be open Mondays through Fridays. After that offices will be open three days a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays if needed to provide additional services.
(WNAX)