Rep. Mann Works to Reform Outdated, Inefficient Farm Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01), alongside 22 of his colleagues, sent a letter to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack urging immediate action to improve outdated and inefficient Farm Service Agency (FSA) program operations and offering recommendations on how to do so.
“Congress and USDA request a wide array of information from agricultural businesses to establish eligibility for farm programs, determine benefit levels, and gather data to assess the impact of such programs,” the members wrote. “Unfortunately. . .the disconnect between the information requested and the information needed to make decisions delays eligibility and benefit determinations, increases costs at USDA, and can result in bad decisions.”
The letter outlines four actions USDA could take to make FSA programs function as intended:
- Ensure all forms match actual farm program requirements
- Ensure all forms are made available for online submission
- Invest in FSA in-person staff training to improve the consistency of program implementation across different county offices
- Fully implement Section 1614 of the 2014 Farm Bill to reduce burdens on producers by streamlining the communication between FSA and the Risk Management Agency and allowing for reporting of electronic data to FSA.
The letter concluded, “USDA plays a key role in ensuring that our nation’s agricultural sector is the most innovative and productive in the world. Implementing these modest reforms will ensure that USDA programs which incentivize that innovation function as intended, reduce costs to taxpayers, and help farmers determine how to navigate often challenging requirements.”
Click here to view the full text of the letter.
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