Louisiana agriculture, business, shipping hit by shutdown
BATON ROUGE –The federal government shutdown is hitting in some surprising places, says Mike Strain, Louisiana commissioner of agriculture and forestry.
“On a day-to-day basis, we’ll see how much this affects us,” he said. “These delays could cost Americans.”
Strain’s office felt it immediately when state agriculture employees in New Orleans had to relocate because they shared an office with a federal agency that holds the lease and locked the doors.
“It’s going to affect our economy,” he predicted.
A shipment of bull sperm by Genex Cooperative in Baton Rouge was blocked and a Louisiana resident who “wants to send an animal out of the country” can’t do it because they can’t get the proper permits, Strain said. Those permits are issued by “Tier 2” employees who have been furloughed.
“If you want to ship 10 bulls to Brazil, which is a common thing, they can’t go. You can’t ship animals or livestock or eggs outside the country” without those permits.
Most federal food inspectors – except those at meat packing plants – are furloughed, he said, and the office that issues permits to migrant workers who are important to fruit and vegetable growers is closed.
The cost of fruits and vegetables is likely to rise if the shutdown continues, he said.
Migrant workers also work during sugarcane season and “they’re fixing to start processing sugar. They’re firing up the plants next week,” he said.
Asked about sugar mills hiring migrant workers, Strain said “they should, hopefully, have them all here. All further applications are stopped.”
If it continues, it could hurt seafood processing plants, which also hire migrant workers.
For farmers, “marketing assistance loans aren’t going out” and aid for specialty crops is suspended, he said.
Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Office of Conservation and U.S. Department of Agriculture contracts are not being paid and the Office of Rural Development is shut down, so rural areas can’t get assistance.
This orphan is from last year when a dog killed its mum. Orson eventually went to a wildlife sanctuary.
