USDA’s $145 billion budget benefits more than just farmers

I am writing to you to point out what is in the 2012 USDA budget.  

When people hear that the budget is approximately $145 billion they think it is going into the pockets of farmers.  As a farmer I can tell you only a very small part of that is shared with us.  

I would like to remind you most industries in this country get money from the government. If it is not subsidized, it is given tax credits. But I am getting off topic of the USDA budget numbers.

The biggest area that uses around 74 percent or $109 billion is nutrition assistance programs that include school lunch programs and what was called food stamps.  

At 13 percent, or around $19 billion, are farm and commodity programs. This would include your crop insurance, acre program, and farm subsidy.  

Conservation and forestry account for seven percent or around $10 billion. The rest of about six percent goes to things like rural development, research, food safety and regulatory functions.

I got this information from www.obpa.usda.gov/budsum/FY12budsum.pdf.

I encourage that all aspects of the coming budget be debated and hard decisions will need to made to get our financial house in order.

Chad Means, Villisca
Montgomery County Farm Bureau board member