The USDA says it has to modernize the Farm Service Agency so it can provide better service to farmers and ranchers. Part of the plan calls for consolidating 713 of the more than 21 hundred offices nationwide. In Idaho FSA state director Wayne Hammon says a dozen offices are now on the potential closure list. Offices in Kootenai, Payette, Clearwater, Fremont, Cassia, Lemhi, Owyhee, Bannock, Jerome, Jefferson, Ada and Lincoln counties could close. He's releasing the list now in hopes of sparking comments and suggestions before the final list is submitted to Washington DC next month. Hammon says closing one or two person offices, upgrading equipment, investing in technology and giving his employees additional training will help ag producers. He's also looking at trying to accommodate more of them via computer.
HAMMON "There are some farmers that aren't comfortable doing business on line and for them we're always going to provide a place for them to come. But there's a few farmers out there that do like doing business that way. They do they're marketing and that kind of stuff and this will facilitate more of that."
If all twelve offices are closed Idaho will have 23 FSA offices to serve farmers and ranchers.
Voice of Idaho Agriculture
Bill Scott
