The United States Department of Agriculture has been shut down, along with much of the US government, as part of a budget impasse in the US.
Politicians have not been able to agree a new budget because Republicans have refused to vote for the bill unless the introduction of a healthcare scheme championed by President Obama is delayed.
The previous budget ended at midnight on September 30.
The USDA website says simply: “Due to the lapse in federal government funding, this website is not available. We sincerely regret this inconvenience.”
The USDA website links users to the White House website for contingency plans during the shutdown, but unfortunately this links back to documents on the USDA website, which can’t currently be accessed!
The most recent US government shutdown took place 17 years ago and lasted for 21 days.