This commentary came from a US website I check out frequently.
"COTTON UP TO USDA
For those who might have thought innovation in government offices was non-existent, they will find several examples of creativity coming from, of all places, the USDA. Someone has been working overtime to dream up new solutions to age old ag problems.
Crop subsidies. No topic has received more attention and none has more daunting than federal crop subsidies. USDA has taken it to a new level by paying more than $1.7 billion dollars to manufacturers to buy U.S. cotton even while cotton is one of the highest subsidized crops in the world receiving $10 billion in subsidies in the last 7 years. In Tennessee, Allenberg Cotton received $106.9 million for buying cotton. Even the Texas Department of Corrections was not left out and received $302,000.
Grasslands conservation program. Ranchers were encouraged to hear they can now qualify for a new USDA program that will pay them not to convert their ranches to farmland. The government program offers the equivalent of a full market price lease on the land to those signing up and doesn’t interfere with the use of the land. Ranchers can continue to operate or lease the land while receiving the payments. Areas with prairie chickens receive extra points in determining who will qualify for a program that has drawn more interest than there is money.
Insure your cattle for a price break. Everyone knows how volatile the cattle market can be. USDA will now offer a new product to insure groups of cattle against a loss by buying price insurance. USDA will pick up half the cost. The problem is even with the government subsidy, the price is still higher than the cost of a “put” on the exchange. This program was heavily lobbied by the insurance agents who receive a large commission on each sale.
Mandatory ID. USDA is considering allowing States to administer the new animal ID program adding millions and perhaps billions of dollars of unnecessary cost and bureaucracy to the program. States are lobbying for the work as a vehicle for generating income for coffers that are running in the red. The states would then upload the data to a national database once a week. This loony idea flies in the face of logic and substance. There are no technical or fundamental reasons for handing the ID information twice or creating an unnecessary regulatory burden at the State level. The ID information should be a national standard and upload directly to the national ID database. State officials would have permission to view any records they need for administrating state health laws or title issues. If USDA makes this mistake, it will easily triple the cost of a program that will already be quite expensive.
The broadcast network NBC provides a service to the country by exposing government waste and pork in the series “Fleecing of America”. There should be an equivalent oversight group to call to task ill conceived programs generated by USDA."
And we are worried that paying farmers a couple of hundred dollars to cover some of the losses on a cull cow will result in retaliation? Go Figure.
"COTTON UP TO USDA
For those who might have thought innovation in government offices was non-existent, they will find several examples of creativity coming from, of all places, the USDA. Someone has been working overtime to dream up new solutions to age old ag problems.
Crop subsidies. No topic has received more attention and none has more daunting than federal crop subsidies. USDA has taken it to a new level by paying more than $1.7 billion dollars to manufacturers to buy U.S. cotton even while cotton is one of the highest subsidized crops in the world receiving $10 billion in subsidies in the last 7 years. In Tennessee, Allenberg Cotton received $106.9 million for buying cotton. Even the Texas Department of Corrections was not left out and received $302,000.
Grasslands conservation program. Ranchers were encouraged to hear they can now qualify for a new USDA program that will pay them not to convert their ranches to farmland. The government program offers the equivalent of a full market price lease on the land to those signing up and doesn’t interfere with the use of the land. Ranchers can continue to operate or lease the land while receiving the payments. Areas with prairie chickens receive extra points in determining who will qualify for a program that has drawn more interest than there is money.
Insure your cattle for a price break. Everyone knows how volatile the cattle market can be. USDA will now offer a new product to insure groups of cattle against a loss by buying price insurance. USDA will pick up half the cost. The problem is even with the government subsidy, the price is still higher than the cost of a “put” on the exchange. This program was heavily lobbied by the insurance agents who receive a large commission on each sale.
Mandatory ID. USDA is considering allowing States to administer the new animal ID program adding millions and perhaps billions of dollars of unnecessary cost and bureaucracy to the program. States are lobbying for the work as a vehicle for generating income for coffers that are running in the red. The states would then upload the data to a national database once a week. This loony idea flies in the face of logic and substance. There are no technical or fundamental reasons for handing the ID information twice or creating an unnecessary regulatory burden at the State level. The ID information should be a national standard and upload directly to the national ID database. State officials would have permission to view any records they need for administrating state health laws or title issues. If USDA makes this mistake, it will easily triple the cost of a program that will already be quite expensive.
The broadcast network NBC provides a service to the country by exposing government waste and pork in the series “Fleecing of America”. There should be an equivalent oversight group to call to task ill conceived programs generated by USDA."
And we are worried that paying farmers a couple of hundred dollars to cover some of the losses on a cull cow will result in retaliation? Go Figure.
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