Let’s look closer at that average farm household income statistic. Ninety-two percent of farm-dwellers derive either all or most of their income from sources other than farming or subsidies. Average household incomes for this group have increased steadily since 2006. These farmers are expected to earn between $63,500 and $83,500 this year.
The other 8 percent — commercial farmers who derive most of their income from farming and subsidies — earned an average of $200,000 last year — an increase of 22 percent from 2006. This year, income for this group is projected to hit $230,000 — another 9.3-percent increase. The USDA, which calculated these estimates, reported last year that the windfall for commercial farmers is due in large part to “demand from the rapid expansion of ethanol production.”
According to the Environmental Working Group’s Farm Subsidy Database, the top 8 percent of farm-subsidy recipients received 57 percent of the payments in 2006, for an average payment of $65,613. (The top 20 percent of recipients get 80 percent of the payments.)
Lee ADDS: Blame a part of the world’s food shortage on us paying farmers to NOT grow crops!
July 4th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Its time to get government out of farming. Let the farming industry live its own lifecycle. If government stops paying farmers not to farm, we won’t have a food crisis. Not to mention farmers could easily farm non food quality product using chemicals and pesticides to produce record crops that can be used for biofuels, and would not effect the human consumption food chain. It is totally ridiculous that taxpayers subsidize 5 billion dollars to farmers not to farm or to alter what they would otherwise do. Its time for the US public to take action and the lawmakers to listen.
July 5th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Very well thought out. The ’special interest crowd’ that advocates ethanol from our farms and payment to farmers to sit idle should be ashamed of themselves.