Photo by Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate
Arkansas 3rd District Congressman Steve Womack said Thursday that Arkansas farmers already facing labor shortages and rising costs could see worsening conditions if the federal government shutdown continues.
Womack met with agriculture industry leaders in Northwest Arkansas to discuss the impact of the shutdown, which began Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. He said farmers are struggling with the cost of feed, fertilizer, land, and equipment and that many rely on federal programs now frozen by the shutdown.
Benton County farmer Bill Haak said low milk prices and high operating costs are taking a toll, while local extension agents warned that delayed federal payments could hurt livestock producers needing disaster assistance.
University of Arkansas agriculture officials said the shutdown is also stalling research projects and forcing reliance on short-term carryover funds to keep staff paid.
Womack said the effects of a prolonged shutdown would ripple through the economy, including the lapse of SNAP benefits expected to impact more than 200,000 Arkansans.
He added that both parties must compromise to reopen the government and move forward on key funding bills, including those tied to agriculture, housing, and transportation projects in his district.
For more on this story visit original reporting by the Arkansas Advocate.
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