The U.S. federal government began a partial shutdown starting Wednesday October 1st, disrupting services and efforts across sprawling agencies — though workers deemed essential remain on the job without pay. 

Farmers and the agricultural industry writ large have been affected, from delays at local FSA offices to lost momentum on trade deals to missed national reports.

DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton has been following the shutdown as it unfolded over the last several days, and brings us the very latest from Washington and around the country on how producers are being impacted and what might be ahead. 

Today, he’ll guide us through the latest shutdown news, bringing us up-to-date on how key USDA agencies and activities, from FSA loans and NRCS payments to disaster aid and WASDE reports, are being disrupted, and what the long-term fallout might be. We’ll also get updates on work that’s still being done, including pest detection at the Southern border, and touch on how trade discussions are being affected both by the shutdown and by Trump’s recent announcement about an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

Then we’ll hear about some recent reactions from farmers, and learn where Congress and the Administration sit today and what might be a path forward towards a more stable outcome for farmers and the American people.