[Budget of the United States Government]
[III. Creating a Better Government]
[7. Agriculture]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


 
                             7.  AGRICULTURE

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                             Table 7-1.  Federal Resources in Support of Agriculture
                                            (In millions of dollars)
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                                                                               Estimate
               Function 350                   2000   -----------------------------------------------------------
                                             Actual     2001      2002      2003      2004      2005      2006
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Spending:
  Discretionary Budget Authority..........     4,725     5,111     4,833     5,242     5,152     5,264     5,383
  Mandatory Outlays:
    Existing law..........................    31,990    20,437    13,162     9,819     8,759     8,789     9,099
Credit Activity:
  Direct loan disbursements...............    11,005    10,280    10,392     8,949     8,791     8,564     8,868
  Guaranteed loans........................     5,435     6,492     6,783     6,886     6,886     6,886     6,886
Tax Expenditures:
  Existing law............................     1,040     1,080     1,130     1,180     1,230     1,290     1,340
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  Through the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Federal Government 
seeks to enhance the quality of life for the American people by 
supporting agricultural production; ensuring a safe, affordable, 
nutritious, and accessible food supply; conserving agricultural, forest, 
and range lands; supporting sound development of rural communities; 
providing economic opportunities for farm and rural residents; expanding 
global markets for agricultural and forest products and services; and 
working to reduce hunger in America and throughout the world. (Many of 
these missions fall within other budget functions and are described in 
other chapters in this section.)
  The Federal Government helps to increase U.S. agricultural income by 
boosting productivity, ensuring that markets function fairly, and 
providing a safety net for farmers and ranchers who face financial risk 
and natural disasters. Farming and ranching are risky. Federal programs 
are designed to accomplish two key economic goals: (1) provide an 
economic safety net for farmers and ranchers; and (2) open, expand, and 
maintain global market opportunities for agricultural producers.
  USDA programs disseminate economic and agronomic information, and help 
farmers finance their operations and manage risks from both weather and 
variable export conditions. Agriculture, food, and its related 
activities account for 15 percent of total annual U.S. personal 
consumption expenditures.

Conditions on the Farm

  Farm conditions are improving. While supplies of farm commodities 
continued to exceed demand, some prices have started to recover from the 
lows of the past two years. Gross cash market receipts rose three 
percent to $195 billion in 2000, above the average level for 1990-1995. 
Net cash income also rose slightly, remaining above average due to 
Federal emergency payments. Farmers are expected to earn slightly more 
from 2001 crop sales due to a larger harvest and improving prices. 
Livestock prices in 2000 recovered from previous lows, and livestock 
receipts exceeded the record level of $96.5 billion in 1997. Crop and 
livestock prices are expected to strengthen modestly in 2001.
  Economic and weather conditions in the 2000 crop year prompted the 
Federal Government to expand spending on agriculture for a third year, 
including $11 billion in emergency disaster relief enacted in the 2001 
Agriculture Appropriations Act and Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 
2000. Overall,

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Federal Government farm payments and related expenditures reached a 
record $32 billion in 2000 (up significantly from the $10 billion 
provided in 1998).
  Farm assets and equity continue to rise, notwithstanding the generally 
low commodity prices. Farm sector assets increased in value in 2000, to 
$1.1 trillion. Farm asset values are forecast to remain at historic high 
levels in 2001, as farm real estate values increase for the thirteenth 
straight year. Farm business debt declined slightly in 2000, from its 
highest level since 1986; and debt-to-equity and debt-to-asset ratios 
also improved slightly in 2000, and are much stronger than on the eve of 
the financial stress in the farm sector during the 1980s. Farmer loan 
delinquencies are at a low and flat level. However, continuing low 
commodity prices and higher input costs due to increasing energy costs, 
may cause certain producers some increasing financial stress.
  Future farm income will be closely linked with exports. The Nation 
exports 30 percent of its farm production, and agriculture produces the 
greatest balance of payments surplus, for its share of national income, 
of any economic sector. Agricultural exports reached a record $60 
billion in 1996. Lower world market prices and bulk export volume 
reduced exports to $49 billion in value terms, although export volume 
was steady in that period, but in 2000 exports increased to $51 billion. 
In 2001, export growth is likely to continue to improve gradually to $53 
billion, with the agricultural trade net surplus expected to reach $13 
billion.

The 1996 Farm Bill

  The 1996 Farm Bill, effective through 2002, fundamentally redesigned 
Federal income support and supply management programs for producers of 
wheat, corn, grain sorghum, barley, oats, rice, and cotton. It expanded 
the market-oriented policies of the previous two major farm bills, which 
had gradually reduced the Federal influence in the agricultural sector 
at the same time it significantly altered Federal support payments.
  Under previous laws dating to the 1930s, farmers who reduced plantings 
could get income support payments when prices were low, but farmers had 
to plant specific crops in order to receive such payments. Even when 
market signals encouraged the planting of a different crop, farmers had 
limited flexibility to do so. By contrast, the 1996 Farm Bill eliminated 
most such restrictions and, instead, provided fixed, but declining 
payments to eligible farmers through 2002, regardless of market prices 
or production volume. This law decoupled Federal income support from 
planting decisions and market prices. The law brought changes in the 
crop acreage planted in response to market signals. In 1997, wheat 
acreage fell by six percent, or about five million acres, from the 
previous year, while soybean acreage rose by 10 percent, or over six 
million acres.
  Since the Farm Bill eased planting restrictions, there has been 
greater potential volatility in crop prices and farm income. The size of 
farm income-support payments no longer varies as crop prices fluctuate, 
and USDA can no longer require farmers to grow less when supplies are 
great. The previous farm bills were not perfectly counter-cyclical: 
participants in USDA commodity programs whose crops were totally ruined 
when prices were high got no income-support payment then, but would now 
through fixed payments. The 1996 Farm Bill does provide some counter-
cyclical price protection because it provides additional marketing loan 
payments to farmers when commodity prices fall below a statutorily set 
loan rate. These marketing loan payments reached the historic high level 
of nearly $7 billion in calendar year 2000. Farmers also received 
additional emergency assistance: $6 billion was appropriated in 1999 for 
1998 crop-year losses, and $14 billion was legislated in 2000 to address 
both 1999 and 2000 crop-year losses.
  The budget does not assume supplemental income assistance for farmers 
for the 2001 crop year because it appears that commodity prices are 
improving, net cash income is projected to be over 90 percent of the 
average income in the 1990s, and it is too early to know what the crop 
quality and yield situation will be. However, the 2002 Budget provides a 
reserve fund that could be used to provide emergency support. USDA will 
work to enhance the competitiveness of American agriculture and to 
expand market

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opportunities for agricultural products using its trade, export, 
research and education and other programs.

Federal Programs

  Federal Farm Commodity Programs: Since the amount of Federal income 
support payments under the 1996 Farm Bill is largely fixed, farm income 
can fluctuate much more from year to year due to supply and demand 
changes. Farmers must rely more on marketing alternatives, and develop 
strategies for managing financial risk and stabilizing farm income. 
However, in response to unprecedented crop/livestock price decreases and 
regional production problems, Congress included, as part of the $14 
billion in emergency disaster relief in 2000, a doubling of the 1996 
Farm Bill's fixed $5 billion in income-support payments. In addition, 
the Federal Government continues to provide other safety-net 
protections, such as the marketing assistance loans that guarantee a 
minimum price for major commodities, which paid producers $7 billion in 
2000 and will pay them about $6 billion in 2001. Since July 1998, USDA 
has been seeking to support U.S. crop prices by purchasing surplus 
commodities to donate overseas.
  Insurance: USDA helps farmers manage their risks by providing 
subsidized crop insurance, delivered through the private sector, which 
shares the insurance risk with the Federal Government. Farmers pay no 
premiums for coverage against catastrophic production losses, and the 
Government subsidizes their premiums for higher levels of coverage. Over 
the past three years, an average of nearly 70 percent of eligible acres 
has been insured, the highest in the program's 60-year history. USDA now 
targets an average indemnity payout of $1.08 for every $1 in premium, 
down from the historical average indemnity of $1.40 for every $1 in 
premium. Crop insurance costs the Federal Government about $3 billion a 
year, including USDA payments to private companies for delivery of 
Federal crop insurance. Producers pay about $1 billion in premium costs 
for this protection.
  The Agricultural Risk Protection Act (ARPA), enacted in June 2000, 
included broad crop insurance reforms. Premium subsidies were increased 
to levels that will roughly double the cost of the program (from $1.5 
billion to $3 billion) and targeted to higher levels of coverage. 
Consequently, participation is expected to increase to an estimated 84 
percent of insurable acres, and the average coverage purchased by a 
farmer is expected to reach more than 70 percent of expected revenue. 
The program is expected to provide over $36 billion in risk protection 
in 2001, up from $34 billion in 2000. Both increased participation and 
higher coverage have the effect of enhancing the farm safety net, and 
reducing the need for disaster assistance legislation. ARPA provides 
incentives for the private sector to develop crop insurance policies on 
new crops and expand several insurance products that mitigate revenue 
risk, price and production risk combined. Revenue insurance policies are 
now among the most popular crop insurance products, and USDA will 
continue to expand their application and availability.

  Trade: The trade surplus for U.S. agriculture rose to $12.0 billion in 
2000 after having declined in recent years. This is largely the result 
of the growth in high-value agricultural products rather than bulk 
commodities. USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) negotiates, 
implements, and enforces trade agreements to strengthen the market for 
U.S. exports.
  In 2002, FAS will work to carry out the President's commitment to 
expand overseas agricultural markets by strengthening USDA's market 
intelligence capabilities in order to address more effectively 
governmental policies and issues that affect the competitiveness of U.S. 
exports. FAS, the Agricultural Marketing Service, Grain Inspection 
Packers and Stockyards Administration, and Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service will work to enhance the USDA's expertise in 
addressing and resolving technical trade issues with foreign trading 
partners and expand participation in the development of international 
commodity standards.
  USDA is authorized to spend more than $1 billion in 2002 on a wide 
range of trade promotion programs that expand overseas market 
opportunities and develop long-term trade relationships with foreign

[[Page 56]]

countries. These include subsidies to export firms that face unfairly 
subsidized overseas competitors and credit guarantees for the commercial 
financing of U.S. agricultural exports. A small, but fast growing 
component of the guarantees is made available under the Supplier Credit 
Guarantee Program. This relatively new program was developed in response 
to changing trade patterns and was tailored specifically to facilitate 
sales of high value and consumer ready products, among the fastest 
growing components of U.S. agricultural trade.
  USDA also provides outreach and exporter assistance activities that 
are designed to assist businesses identify marketing opportunities 
overseas and enter export markets for the first time. This effort 
includes assistance in addressing laws, customs, and technical 
requirements that can discourage smaller, less experienced firms from 
taking advantage of export opportunities. USDA also facilitates 
participation in international trade shows and market promotion events. 
In these activities, increased emphasis is being placed on emerging 
markets in order to assist U.S. exporters to offset the initial costs 
and risks involved in capturing new market opportunities.

  Agricultural Research: In 2002, the Federal Government expects to 
spend $2.1 billion for agricultural research, education, economics and 
statistics programs to make U.S. agriculture more productive and 
competitive in the global economy.
  The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is USDA's in-house research 
agency. In 2002, ARS' $946 million proposed funding level will increase 
emphasis in high-priority areas, such as combating emerging and exotic 
diseases, controlling weeds and arthropods, as well as for 
biotechnology, and genomics. Working towards the ultimate goal of having 
a method to rapidly detect the presence of Bovine Spongeform 
Encephalopathy (BSE) disease agents in live animals, USDA will develop 
one or more BSE tests that will be ready for field evaluation in 2002. 
To accommodate these high priority items, funding for some lower-
priority earmarked projects will be discontinued and funding for 
facility modernization will be limited to the most urgent needs.
  Another important ARS initiative is to develop technologies that will 
enhance the range of uses for agricultural commodities and byproducts. 
This work would result in competitively priced value-added products and 
spur jobs and business activity, especially in rural areas. Of 
particular promise is a new USDA research program carried out in 
collaboration with the Department of Energy. This effort focuses on 
developing biobased products and biofuels products made from renewable 
resources that can meet environmental needs, reduce dependence on 
petroleum-based products, and expand market opportunities for U.S. 
agriculture. In addition to developing new products, the USDA also will 
create new ways to ensure their efficient mass-production and 
processing. In 2002, USDA will:
  Expand transfer of research results to industry in order to 
          increase the number of high quality and economically 
          competitive bio-based products for sale.
  The Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service 
(CSREES) provides grants, through open competition, statutory formula, 
or, less desirably, direct earmark. Most of these grants are provided to 
land grant universities and State agricultural experiment stations. In 
2002, CSREES' $991 million request (including $120 million for the 
Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems) will maintain 
funding for all programs except those that were funded with 
congressional earmarks in 2001.
  USDA economics and statistics programs, which are funded at $181 
million, improve U.S. agricultural competitiveness by reporting and 
analyzing information. The Economic Research Service provides economic 
and other social sciences information and analysis for decision-making 
on agriculture, food, natural resources and rural development policy. 
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts the Census 
of Agriculture and provides estimates of production, supply, price and 
other aspects of the farm economy, providing information that helps 
ensure efficient markets. In 2002, NASS will:

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  Provide timely information needed to support orderly marketing 
          of agricultural products by meeting scheduled report release 
          dates 100 percent of the time.

  Inspection and Market Regulation: The Federal Government will spend 
approximately $825 million a year to secure U.S. cropland from pests and 
diseases and make U.S. crops more marketable. The Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) inspects agricultural products that 
enter the country, searching for goods or commodities that could harbor 
potential infestations; monitors the disease status of agricultural 
plants and animals; controls and eradicates diseases and infestations; 
helps control damage to livestock and crops from animals; and uncovers 
cruel treatment of many domesticated animals. The Agricultural Marketing 
Service (AMS) and the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 
Administration (GIPSA) help market U.S. farm products, ensure fair 
trading practices, and promote a competitive, efficient market place.
  In 2002, APHIS will provide increased funding to stop the importation 
of goods and commodities that could endanger U.S. agriculture; use 
appropriated discretionary funding to respond to ongoing emergencies 
such as Medfly, citrus canker and Asian Longhorned Beetle; and improve 
trade issues and management. Reductions of unneeded funding will be made 
in boll weevil and brucellosis activities. An example of a performance 
goal in 2002 is:
  APHIS will continue to ensure that at least 95 percent of air 
          travelers comply with restrictions to prevent entry of pests 
          and diseases despite growing passenger traffic.
  For AMS and GIPSA, more funding will be devoted towards active 
participation in the development and resolution of international 
commodity standards. Examples of performance goals in 2002 are:
  AMS will establish accredited procedures and methods for 
          testing bio-engineered fruits and vegetables similar to those 
          already established for grains by GIPSA; and
  GIPSA will become the International Standardization 
          Organization certifier to promote the marketing of value-added 
          products through internationally recognized quality assurance 
          systems, thus opening new market opportunities and avoiding 
          costly trade disputes.

  Conservation: The 1996 Farm Bill was the most conservation-oriented 
farm bill in history, enabling USDA to provide incentives to farmers and 
ranchers to protect the natural resource base of U.S. agriculture. The 
bill created several new conservation programs and extended and expanded 
other ongoing programs. The largest new program is the Environmental 
Quality Incentives Program, which provides cost-share and incentive 
payments to encourage farmers to adopt improved farming practices, and 
reduce the environmental impact of livestock operations. In a typical 
year, USDA, through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, provides 
technical assistance to 650,000 landowners, farmers and ranchers.
  In 2002, USDA will:
  increase the number of acres enrolled in riparian buffers and 
          filter strips to 2.5 million, from an estimated 1.6 million 
          acres in 2001;
  develop conservation systems on 18 million acres of cropland 
          and grazing land to control erosion;
  help landowners apply integrated pest management systems on 
          four million acres;
  help landowners apply conservation measures to reduce nutrient 
          runoff on five million acres; and
  improve fish and wildlife habitat on five million acres of 
          private land.
  For more information on conservation, and USDA's investments in public 
land management, see Chapter 6, ``Natural Resources and Environment.'' 
USDA programs also help to maintain vital rural communities, as 
described in Chapter 10, ``Community and Regional Development.''

  Agricultural Credit: USDA provides about $800 million a year in direct 
loans and nearly $3 billion in guaranteed loans to finance farm 
operating expenses and farmland purchases. A portion of direct loans, 
which carry interest

[[Page 58]]

rates at or below those on Treasury securities, are targeted to 
beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers. Both direct and guaranteed 
loans are limited to family farmers who cannot obtain adequate credit 
from other sources.
  In 2002, USDA will:
  Increase the proportion of loan amounts targeted to beginning 
          and socially-disadvantaged farmers to 30 percent, from an 
          estimated 28 percent in 2001 and nine percent in 1996 when 
          USDA first began measuring this activity; and
  Reduce the delinquency rate on farm loans to 18 percent, from 
          over 24 percent in 1994.
  The Farm Credit System and Farmer Mac, both Government-Sponsored 
Enterprises, enhance the supply of farm credit through ties to national 
and global credit markets. The Farm Credit System (which lends directly 
to farmers) has recovered strongly from its financial problems of the 
1980s, in part through Federal help. Farmer Mac increases the liquidity 
of commercial banks and the Farm Credit System by purchasing 
agricultural loans for resale as bundled securities. In 1996, Congress 
gave the institution authority to pool loans as well as more years to 
attain required capital standards, which Farmer Mac has now achieved.

  Management Reform: USDA administers its many farm, conservation, and 
rural development programs through 2,500 county-level service centers 
with over 25,000 staff. During the prior Bush Administration, an effort 
was begun to streamline USDA's county office structure to improve 
service and reduce costs. The increasing costs of maintaining the 
current delivery system and the investment in new information technology 
have prompted the USDA to continue to examine its staff-intensive field 
office-based infrastructure. USDA will merge information technology 
staff of the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service, and Rural Development into one staff to service all three 
agencies, and review the field office structure to identify additional 
opportunities to improve efficiency, realize savings, and recognize the 
growth in farm business transacted via computers and fax machines. With 
requested resources, USDA will complete implementing its systems 
integration initiative, known as the Common Computing Environment (CCE). 
The CCE will reduce the paperwork burden by allowing for electronic 
filing of information from farmers and other USDA customers.
  USDA will also review streamlining and efficiency-enhancing measures 
for the Forest Service's field structure, work force, and administrative 
operations to provide more resources for ``on-the-ground'' activities. 
Program modifications and reforms will also be considered for USDA's 
food aid, trade, and marketing programs. These will ensure that Section 
416(b) food aid donations, in particular, significantly benefit U.S. 
farmers, target necessary humanitarian feeding, and avoid adverse 
commercial impacts consistent with Administration policy. The USDA will 
look for ways to reduce layers of management where doing so will 
increase program responsiveness without sacrificing needed oversight and 
accountability.
  Improving management and financial accountability is also a key 
priority for the Department. USDA will develop centralized and 
integrated management information systems to provide timely and reliable 
information on USDA's finances, people, and purchases. Such systems will 
help USDA resolve major management challenges, including improving 
computer security.
  USDA will continue working towards the goal of an unqualified audit 
opinion on USDA's consolidated financial statements. To assist in this 
goal USDA is implementing a corporate administrative accounting system 
(estimated completion by 2003). Last year, three stand alone component 
agency statements received unqualified audit opinions, two received 
qualified opinions and one received a disclaimer.

Tax Expenditures

  Tax expenditures for agriculture are estimated to be $1.1 billion in 
2002, and $6 billion between 2003 and 2006. Legislation in 1999 made 
permanent the ability for farmers and ranchers to lower their tax 
liability by averaging their taxable income over the prior three-year 
period. Producers of certain crops, such as corn, also receive indirect 
benefits from the ethanol tax credit,

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due to the higher commodity prices that result from the increased demand 
for their commodities.
  The Administration proposes to establish Farm, Fish, and Ranch Risk 
Management (FFARRM) savings accounts for owners of farming, fishing, and 
ranging businesses. Each year, up to 20 percent of taxable income 
attributable to an eligible farming, fishing, or ranching business could 
be contributed to a FFARRM account and deducted from income. The income 
earned on the account would be taxable as earned. Distributions from the 
account (except those attributable to income from the account) would be 
included in gross income. Any amount not distributed within five years 
of deposit would be deemed to have been distributed and included in 
gross income, plus subject to a 10 percent surtax. This proposal would 
be effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2001.