01.16.19

Hoeven: USDA to Bring Back FSA Staff Thursday, Friday and Tuesday

Senator Spoke with Secretary Perdue To Encourage Essential FSA Loan Support

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will bring back Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff Thursday and Friday, January 17-18, as well as Tuesday January 22, to provide essential services, including servicing existing direct loans, while negotiations continue to reach agreement on funding the government and border security. 

Last week, the senator spoke with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to outline the importance of USDA loan programs and urged him to mitigate impacts on the state’s farmers and ranchers during the partial government shutdown. Hoeven also met with North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring to discuss the issue. 

“I spoke to Secretary Perdue last week about the importance of FSA loans in providing producers with cash flow and this is a step in the right direction,” said Hoeven. “I appreciate USDA efforts to bring back FSA staff to assist farmers and ranchers on Thursday and Friday this week and Tuesday next week. At the same time, we continue encouraging the Administration to mitigate additional impacts, including providing additional service for Marketing Assistance Loans and Guaranteed loans.”

USDA announced today that FSA offices in Bottineau, Carson, Cavalier, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Fargo, Grand Forks, Hillsboro, Jamestown, LaMoure, Langdon, Linton, Mandan, Minot, Mott, Park River, Selfridge, Towner and Williston will open on January 17-18 and January 22 to provide essential services, including limited farm loans-related services to producers. FSA staff will provide essential services, including: 

  • Processing payments made on or before December 31, 2018. This will help ensure that farmer payments on Farm Storage loans are coded for the 2018 tax year.
  • Signing two-party checks, enabling farmers to cash checks with USDA listed as a co-party.  

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