As the Federal Shutdown continues, the overwhelming and continuous negative impact of this event has resulted in over 800,000+ US workers not receiving pay. This has immensely impacted the agriculture sector in terms of food inspection by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as the rate at which farm produce is inspected on local farms has decreased drastically. Before the shutdown, the FDA used to execute thorough inspections on 80% of the total food that is produced in farms, including extremely crucial and important products such as milk – the essential ingredient from which baby formula is made. As of now, over 41% of employees have been fired from their jobs or temporarily “granted” to postpone their positions, which results in no income for their families. In this article, we will talk about the current and future repercussions the shutdown will bring and how this will impact the people.

How The Food Inspection Cut Back Will Impact Consumers

Because of the fact, that the rate at which food is being inspected has dropped over 41% due to the loss of workers, this means that the food that will be stocked on the supermarket shelves may not be 100% safe to consume. The produce might come with an increased risk of low food quality, miscalculated expiry dates and the potential (but not very likely) risk of food poisoning. Although the government has stated that nobody should worry about their food quality so soon because the most essential farming produce (e.g. vegetables, poultry, and dairy products) will be inspected by workers, the issue is that they will not receive pay during the federal shutdown and the quality of their inspections might be compromised accordingly. For those individuals who are truly concerned about the safety and quality of the food that they are buying and consuming, we recommend putting your trust into the local farmers and food produce growers which you have depended on for the longest. The reality is, even though most food inspections will not be carried out, quality farmers who were relied on as a trusted source of great produce should continue being trusted regardless of the situation.

What Problems Did The Federal Shutdown Cause To Farmers?

The shutdown has drastically impacted the farmers when it comes to the loss of financial support they mostly depend on to manage their farms and continue being in business. Since the government shutdown, the loans and payments for farming services were completely cut off, which acts as a financial threat. Professional growers are at risk of losing business and even their produce farms themselves. On the other hand, despite all of the negative effects, some farmers still support president Trump and his demand to gather over 5 billion dollars to build a border.

What Is The Future For US Farmers and Federal Workers?

It has been said that the government will repay federal workers for the time they’ve spent discarded from their positions. This does not, however, make it easier to survive for those people who are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck in the first place. As the president reaches his objective to gather funds for the border wall, the shutdown will come to its termination date. Until then, workers are forced to find ways to make a living by using their savings and/or creating additional sources of income.