Funding for anti-hunger programs and delays in farmer-facing programs are a focal point of government shutdown concerns amid stalled negotiations.

This week could mark a climactic point as holdups and funding woes stretch through the heart of the fall harvest season and threaten critical funding for nutrition aid for tens of millions of low-income people.

Some of those programs have received backup funds or had enough money to tide recipients over until the end of October. But lawmakers have less than two weeks to resolve the funding impasse before funding runs out for some of them, and concerns about food and agriculture policies are at the heart of the pressure mounting on Washington to find a way to move forward.

1. SNAP: USDA has warned that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds will run out by the end of October. Acting SNAP Associate Administrator Ronald Ward asked state and local administrators earlier this month to hold off on steps to prepare benefits for November.

“We’re going to run out of money in two weeks,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said last week. “So, you’re talking about millions and millions of vulnerable families, of hungry families that are not going to have access to these programs because of this shutdown.”

2. School meals: Last week, several state agencies reported they wouldn’t have enough money on hand to reimburse the cost of October free and reduced-price meals if the shutdown continues into November, according to the School Nutrition Association.

USDA confirmed over the weekend that funds to cover October meals had been sent to state agencies.

3. WIC: The White House has said it is using tariff revenue to fund the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children through the end of October. But it’s unclear if it can scrape up enough money to keep the program afloat into November.

Plus, some states are experiencing WIC delays or funding issues relating to furloughs or a lack of administrative funds, according to the National WIC Association, leading them to wait-list low-income mothers and families applying for benefits.

4. H-2A processing: Specialty crop producers are warning that the shutdown is delaying H-2A visa processing during harvest season for some fruits and vegetables.

The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association is urging OMB Director Russ Vought to direct the Labor Department to resume processing the visas. The group warned in a letter to Vought that if the shutdown lasts through November, many seasonal agricultural workers won’t be able to come to work until February.

“As Florida growers move into their peak production season, shutdown-caused delays in H-2A certifications imminently threaten agricultural production, potentially leading to significant crop loss for Florida’s fruit and vegetable producers,” wrote Jamie Fussell, director of labor relations for FFVA.

5. Farm aid: The Trump administration has said it won’t be able to roll out any details on a farm aid package until the government is open, even as farmers are pressuring officials to make a decision and announce details.

Though the White House and USDA are publicly blaming the shutdown for the delay, they’re also still trying to figure out how much they’ll need to spend to bail farmers out and where they’ll get the money. More on that here.

6. FSA offices: Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been quietly pressing administration officials to reopen thousands of shuttered county Farm Service Agency offices across the country to facilitate farm loans. Thune and other lawmakers have warned that farmers won’t be able to access loans as they make planting decisions for next year if they remain closed.

Source: Politico Weekly Agriculture / Grace Yarrow