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By Charles Abbott

WASHINGTON, Sept 30 | Mon Sep 30, 2013 5:20pm EDT
 

(Reuters) - The U.S. AgricultureDepartment (click here) will shut off its gusher of statistical reports in the event of a federal government shutdown, leaving traders and food producers in the dark about most activities in the world's largest farm exporter.
 
But inspections of meat are considered among essential services that will continue even if most workers are idled.

If the shutdown lasts more than two or three days, USDA may be forced to delay the release of its monthly crop estimates, due on Oct. 11, which often cause swings worth billions of dollars in the price of corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton....