American farmers were already struggling. The shutdown made it worse
Briefly

American farmers were already struggling. The shutdown made it worse
"America's farmers are getting walloped by the federal government shutdown. The closing of government offices means they have lost access to data and loans that help keep them afloat. Then there's health care. More than a quarter of the nation's farmers rely on the Affordable Care Act, along with the subsidies that are at the heart of the shutdown fight. And add to that the fact that farmers' finances are taking a hit from President Trump's tariffs."
"And farmers rely on the federal government because of the financial situations that they're in. So farmers rely on government programs that provide subsidies, checks. Most of our smaller and midsize farmers rely on government loans, usually at a lower interest rate, or just access to the capital that the big banks don't want to fool with the smaller farmer. And we also rely on conservation dollars, programs that help soil health, that help the environment."
Federal shutdown closures have deprived farmers of critical services, including access to data, loan processing, and conservation program support. More than a quarter of farmers depend on the Affordable Care Act and related subsidies for health coverage, and those benefits have become entangled in the shutdown dispute. Tariff policies have already reduced farm incomes, compounding financial strain. Many small and midsize farmers depend on government loans or lower-rate financing because commercial lenders avoid smaller operations. Conservation payments support soil health and environmental programs that farmers rely on. The combined loss of services, health coverage risks, and tariff-driven price shocks threatens farm viability and cash flow.
Read at www.npr.org
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