January 7

From a commodity standpoint, the U.S. government shutdown is a minor disaster. Unlike the 2013 shutdown, USDA AMS Market News is now an “essential” service – so we will still have access to all USDA meat, poultry and dairy markets quoted in this report. What we will not have is the USDA NASS reports, including the very important monthly WASDE (World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates), all monthly Outlook reports (Wheat, Feed, Oilseeds), the Livestock, Dairy & Poultry Outlook, Cold Storage, Cattle on Feed, Livestock Slaughter, Chicken and Eggs, Milk Production and Broiler Hatchery. Outside of agriculture, there could be a decline in consumer spending resulting from $5B per month in federal salaries not being paid, delayed tax returns and the trickle down associated with a sharp decline of government services.