Process To Close FSA Offices Starts Immediately

COFFEEVILLE – The process to close eight Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices including the Yalobusha County office will start immediately, according to a press release from USDA.
    In the press release, Mississippi State Executive Director for the FSA Michael Sullivan reported the closure dates will follow required notifications to producers, FSA employees and office landlords.
    The agency will provide farmers and ranchers affected by closures an opportunity to choose the most convenient neighboring county office with which to conduct their future business with the agency. In addition, all employees in a closing office will be provided an opportunity to continue their work with FSA.  
    As a federal agency, FSA has been affected by widespread budget reductions made by Congress.
    Since 2011, the Agency has lost 1,230 permanent employees through voluntary early separation and normal retirement. In addition, FSA has been forced to reduce discretionary administrative expenses by over 30 percent in the last fiscal year alone.
    The county offices confirmed for closure in Mississippi are:  Benton County FSA Office, Choctaw County FSA Office, DeSoto County FSA Office, Itawamba County FSA Office, Lamar County FSA Office, Lawrence County FSA Office, Smith County FSA Office, and Yalobusha County FSA Office.
    The closures were triggered by the 2008 Farm Bill, which had a provision allowing offices to be consolidated if they were less than 20 miles apart and employed two or less permanent employees.
    A public meeting was held earlier this year in Coffeeville to discuss the then-proposed consolidation.  Local farmers and landowners attended the meeting voicing opposition to the proposal. The comments were sent to Washington as part of the legal process.