Capital Update – For the Week Ending Oct. 3, 2025

USDA’s Market News, Meat Inspections Continue During Shutdown

What happened: Tuesday, Sept. 30, at midnight, the federal government shut down after Congress failed to approve funding for fiscal 2026, which began Oct. 1. Without funding, many federal programs ceased, and the staff who administer them were temporarily laid off.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to furlough about half of its workforce, but employees for essential programs remained on the job.

That included personnel who publish the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Market News, the twice-daily reports on livestock transactions and data. Federal meat inspectors also continue to work, although USDA warned that states handling their own meat and poultry inspections could run out of federal funds.

NPPC action: NPPC asked Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to deem LMR staff as “essential” so they would not be furloughed during the shutdown.

Why it matters: USDA’s Market News includes information on livestock sales volume, pricing, supply-and-demand conditions, and livestock product prices. Producers rely on the report to make informed business decisions.

Additionally, USDA’s Risk Management Agency utilizes LMR data to determine ending values and indemnities owed to producers under Livestock Risk Protection insurance policies. Disruptions in LMR reporting could significantly impact the accurate settlement of such policies while the government is shut down.

Ag Organizations Urge Congress to End Government Shutdown

What happened: NPPC joined other agricultural organizations in urging the Senate and House and both political parties to “work together to end the government shutdown.”

In a letter sent 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), 22 agriculture organizations asked that Congress quickly approve a funding bill to reopen the federal government.

Why it matters: A shutdown, said the organizations, “has significant consequences on farmers, ranchers, growers, and all who work to grow, process, deliver, and prepare the food our nation relies on.”

They pointed out that U.S. agriculture is experiencing tough economic times, with many farmers facing commodity prices near record lows while production expenses 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 organizations concluded.

Applications Being Accepted for Pork Industry’s Dierks Scholarship

What happened: The National Pork Industry Foundation now is accepting applications for the 2025 Neil Dierks Scholarship, which honors the former NPPC CEO and his contributions to the U.S. pork industry. The nonprofit foundation, which is administered by NPPC, is dedicated to advancing research and education that benefit the pork industry.

The $5,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a graduate student enrolled in a land-grant university who is pursuing a field of study that directly supports the pork industry.

Applications for the Neil Dierks Scholarship are due December 31. The recipient of the scholarship will be announced at NPPC’s annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – which is scheduled March 4-6, 2026, in Kansas City, Missouri.

For eligibility requirements and to apply for the Dierks scholarship, click here. If you have any questions, please contact Lucy Russell, NPPC manager of producer engagement, at 515-864-7983 or russelll@nppc.org.

Capital Update on Modified Schedule During Government Shutdown

During the federal government shutdown, Capital Update will be issued on an as-needed basis. It will resume regular publication after the shutdown has ended.