Farm Subsidies

Monday, February 5, 2007
Contributed by: Courtney Goodman-Morris

The Washington Post has reported that the Bush administration has unveiled its proposal for farm subsidies for new legislation scheduled for debate this year. The current farm bill is set to expire in 2007.

While the details of the administration's proposals are sketchy, it appears that the proposal may include the following:

  • an income test providing that individuals with adjusted gross income in excess of $200,000 would not be eligible for FSA benefits
  • changing the rules for the number of entities that a person may earn payment through
  • reducing benefits that may be earned through loan deficiency payments
  • changing the rules for determining what cropland is eligible for payments
  • changing rules regarding idle cropland
  • revamping the annual program to reduce guaranteed prices.

This column is published for informational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice and is not intended to create an attorney client relationship. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author's law firm or its individual partners.