Rep Cloud & Republicans Push Farm Service Agency to Address Staffing Shortages to Help Agriculture Community

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Michael Cloud sent a letter to Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Ducheneaux regarding the staffing challenges at FSA that are causing delays in processing farmers’ USDA program and loan applications.

As Ranking Member of the Oversight Committee’s Economic and Consumer Policy Subcommittee, he led this letter with other Members on the Oversight Committee. 

“Countless farmers in our districts have reached out concerned about staffing shortages in their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. As their representatives and Members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, we want to work with the current administration to equip FSA to meet the needs of farmers,” wrote the lawmakers. 

“As our farmers progress through the planting season and into the harvesting season in the fall, it is important the FSA office is adequately staffed. The direct interaction many of our farmers have in these offices cannot be substituted with only emails and phone calls. Further, lengthy processing times are causing problems for many farmers. While we understand processing times vary between counties, it is important to avoid unnecessary delays for these applications,” continued the lawmakers. 

Congressman Cloud and the other lawmakers also asked for a timeline on when local FSA offices will be fully reopened and greater information about the hiring process, including whether the new procedures for onboarding employees have expedited hiring.

Click HERE for a copy of the letter.

###