Agriculture Groups Warn of Shutdown Impact on Farmers

Oct 08, 2025
By Farms.com

Farmers Face Strain as Congress Delays Funding Bill

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), along with 21 other agricultural organizations, has called on Congress to “work together to end the government shutdown.”

In a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the groups urged lawmakers to swiftly pass a funding bill to reopen the federal government.

The organizations emphasized the impact of a shutdown on the agriculture sector, stating it “has significant consequences on farmers, ranchers, growers, and all who work to grow, process, deliver, and prepare the food our nation relies on.”

They noted that U.S. agriculture is facing economic challenges, with commodity prices near record lows while production costs continue to rise.

“A government shutdown adds additional uncertainty, disrupts critical services, delays payments and places more burden on rural communities already feeling significant stress,” the letter concluded, highlighting the urgency for congressional action.

Photo Credit: national-pork-producers-council

Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.