AGRICULTURE SUBSIDIES

WHAT IS A SUBSIDY? Have you ever purchase something even though you didn’t have all the money for it? (not including buying things with credit) Are you more likely to take something for granted if its purchase was subsidized? Or are you more appreciative? Is there a relationship between the desire to earn money and the ability to have purchases subsidized? Does some form of subsidy allow you to spend more time on school, friends, etc and less time working to earn money?

WHAT IS A SUBSIDY? A support payment that the federal government makes to farmers and agribusiness. Several Types Direct Payments Price supports (payments to farmers when market price goes below the price floor) Conservation subsidies Crop Insurance, disaster response, credit, marketing, and irrigation water Agriculture Research Export subsidies Import barriers in the form of quotas, tariffs, or regulations

INSTANT EXPERT Read the Instant Expert on Agriculture Subsidies Define ag subsidies Develop a list of pros and cons

SUBSIDIES IN THE U.S. $292.5 billion in subsidies $177.6 billion in commodity subsidies. $53.6 billion in crop insurance subsidies. $38.9 billion in conservation subsidies. $22.5 billion in disaster subsidies.

SUBSIDIES IN THE US 62 percent of farms in United States did not collect subsidy payments - according to USDA. Ten percent collected 75 percent of all subsidies. Amounting to $178.5 billion over 18 years. Top 10%: $32,043 average per year between 1995 and Bottom 80%: $604 average per year between 1995 and 2012.

SUBSIDY TOTAL FROM Cotton$3,043,574, Rice$2,558,819, Disaster Payments$850,600, Wheat $557,367, Dairy$471,001, Corn$304,821,943

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