350 Agriculture
The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service runs several market development programs, including MAP, that are designed to help industry promote exports overseas. MAP subsidizes trade associations, businesses, and other private entities to help them market and promote their products overseas. Under MAP, taxpayers have recently helped to fund international wine-tastings, organic hair products for cats and … Continue reading Eliminate the Market Access Program
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates domestic and imported seafood. However, the 2008 farm bill created a special exception requiring the USDA to regulate catfish that is sold for human consumption. This program, which has not yet been implemented, would impose costly duplication because facilities that process seafood, including catfish, would be required to … Continue reading Repeal the USDA Catfish Inspection Program
The Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers not to farm. In return for not farming allegedly environmentally sensitive land, farmers receive annual payments, courtesy of taxpayers; contracts last for 10 to 15 years. Much of this land could be highly productive land if it were used. By taking land out of production, there is less land … Continue reading Eliminate the Conservation Reserve Program
The Natural Resources Conservation Service runs a costly program to offer technical assistance to landowners on natural resource management. This assistance includes help in maintaining private lands, complying with laws, enhancing recreational activities, and improving the aesthetic character of private land. The services are provided to both governmental and private entities. Private landowners, not government, … Continue reading Eliminate the Conservation Technical Assistance Program
The RBCS is an agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture that has a wide range of financial assistance programs to help rural businesses. It also has a significant focus on renewable energy and climate change, including subsidizing biofuels. Rural businesses are fully capable of running themselves, investing, and seeking assistance through private means. The … Continue reading Eliminate the Rural Business-Cooperative Service
In the 2014 farm bill, Congress eliminated the infamous direct payment program that paid farmers regardless of need. However, Congress also added two major new commodity programs, the ARC and PLC programs. Eligible farmers can choose between the ARC and PLC programs. ARC is a shallow-loss program, meaning that it covers minor losses. Payments are … Continue reading Eliminate the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs