Shutdown and Economic Relief
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson and this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. While the USDA has reopened Farm Service Agency offices with limited staff, economic relief remains stagnant during the government shutdown.
National Potato Council CEO, Kam Quarles, a member of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, says this shutdown is a ‘hurry up and wait’ situation …
QUARLES … “In terms of economic relief, once the government reopens, that will allow the leaders of both Congress, their staff, as well as the administration folks to look at the full breadth of this economic crisis that U.S. agriculture is in and develop that comprehensive package.”
For now, Quarles says we are very limited when it comes to economic relief …
QUARLES … “It’s going to require Congress to deliver some authority to the administration, and it’s going to require the administration having the program, the people, the personnel and all of the paperwork in place to be able to actually deliver that relief. So, it’s a big effort and you don’t have your team on the field right now.”
So, Quarles says this needs to end …
QUARLES … “They need to come to a deal and they do it rapidly. We’ve got a lot of big issues to solve, economic relief, trade, farm bill, all of these issues, and certainly just the competitiveness of the United States on the world stage. And we can’t be shut down and solve any of these.”
Again, that is Kam Quarles, CEO at the National Potato Council.
