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Actual information on the effects of the shutdown on the USDA, for those interested in that sort of thing: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/30/usa-fiscal-agricul...

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Now that is very interesting. According to this article, earlier this year meat and poultry inspectors were designated 'essential personnel', meaning that they can continue to work even during a government shutdown. This is important because it's against the law to sell meat in the US if it hasn't been inspected by a USDA inspector.

Imagine the outcry if this government shutdown meant that all meat and poultry sales in the US halted until an agreement was reached.

I'd be one happy vegetarian!

Would you? Economic forces would drive up the cost of your fodder.

In the short-term perhaps, but if it lasted a while the reverse would be true as the market would be flooded with excess fodder production that would drive down the price of my fodder (Amount of grain needed to end extreme hunger - 40 million tonnes. Amount of grain fed to animals in the West - 540 million tonnes. United Nations)

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