Wednesday, January 26, 2011

FARM SUBSIDIES TEST DEBT-REDUCTION PLEDGES

(Politico) -- Politico.com reports that some Capitol Hill budget cutters "have a problem in their own back pasture: what to do about a system of farm subsidies ... at a time of record income for producers." In question is the $5 billion in "direct payments to farm country — including to the home districts of many" conservative House members. "Even a 20% reduction could yield as much as $1 billion in annual savings," the article notes. The "president’s deficit reduction commission recommended a net decrease of about $10 billion over 10 years in subsidies." The article points out that "agriculture already took a $6 billion hit last July in renegotiating the Standard Reinsurance Agreement that governs crop insurance." You can read the full article at the site below.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/48097.html