The U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision to purchase
domestic sugar in an effort to avoid costly loan forfeitures by
sugar producers this summer is consistent with the Administration's
policy of coming to the aid of farmers and ranchers in distress
during the national farm crisis.
The following are some examples of USDA or White House
announcements of farm assistance just in the past year:
March 1999 Largest wheat purchase ever, 1 million metric tons,
$133.5 million
April 1999 Another wheat purchase, 700,000 metric tons, $93.5
million
July 1999 Purchase of another 475,000 tons of wheat, $63.4
million
March 1999 Payments of $50 million to small hog
operators
March 1999 Assistance to dairy farmers suffering low prices,
$200 million
May 1999 USDA releases $2 billion in disaster assistance funds
for farmers
June 1999 USDA distributes $70 million in livestock assistance
program
July 1999 Vice President Gore announces $100 million for hog
farmers
Dec. 1999 USDA announces $328 million to assist tobacco
farmers
Jan. 2000 Sheep and lamb farmers receive $100 million from
USDA
Jan. 2000 USDA announces $125 million to aid dairy farmers hit
by low prices
Feb. 2000 Cotton farmers get $74 million from USDA to offset
low prices
Feb. 2000 Oilseed farmers get $475 million because of low
prices
March 2000 Livestock producers receive $190 million from
USDA
March 2000 USDA purchases 800,000 pounds of cheese for $1
million
March 2000 USDA announces another $231 million for drought
relief
April 2000 Crop disaster program payments totaling $1.8
billion from USDA