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The Agriculture Department will reopen about 2,100 Farm Service Agency offices nationwide on Thursday despite the government shutdown, enabling access to $3 billion in existing aid. Each site will have two paid staff, with funding drawn from the Commodity Credit Corporation, a White House official said. Republicans and farm groups praised the move as harvest continues, while Democrats called it political and overdue. Farmers, facing inflation and year-end financing decisions, objected to plans for more Argentine beef and soybean policy moves, and still await China trade-war aid stalled by the shutdown.

Prepared by Christopher Adams and reviewed by editorial team.