Why a Washington Budget Fight Matters All the Way Back to the Barn
As Congress continues its budget standoff, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is now days away from a lapse in funding. If nothing changes, the program that helps more than 40 million Americans buy groceries will temporarily shut down on November 1 — and that has direct consequences for the U.S. pork industry.
At first glance, food-assistance policy may seem far from the barn, the feed mill, or the packing line. But SNAP isn’t a side program — it is one of the biggest demand drivers in the U.S. protein economy. When those dollars disappear, even briefly, the ripple effect is fast and measurable: consumers pull back, retailers slow their orders, cold storage grows, and live-hog values eventually feel the drag.