USDA subsidies for farms in South Carolina totaled $1,834,000,000 from 1995 through 2009.
| Subsidy Category | Type | 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 | 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 | 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 | TOTAL 1995-2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total USDA - Subsidies | Payments | $43,982,517 $53,072,918 $51,596,218 $72,066,994 $139,963,431 $157,420,603 |
$154,641,930 $80,329,305 $143,636,193 $86,795,379 $145,404,776 $116,008,186 |
$105,208,819 $139,864,001 $137,341,992 $99,701,874 $106,785,056 |
$1,833,820,193 |
| Recipients | 11,468 14,222 13,935 13,203 14,824 27,932 | 28,129 16,136 26,067 12,601 13,999 13,826 | 12,506 13,136 11,947 10,631 10,080 | 48,032 | |
| Subtotal, Farming Subsidies | Payments | $13,976,323 $30,268,160 $29,430,751 $51,870,271 $82,417,278 $105,632,490 |
$94,436,867 $45,643,067 $76,054,979 $52,731,237 $86,093,782 $76,182,087 |
$56,861,782 $61,071,071 $77,120,380 $45,831,719 $42,251,332 |
$1,027,873,577 |
| Recipients | 5,344 9,844 9,671 10,136 10,568 24,493 | 24,493 10,575 22,267 8,950 10,053 9,862 | 8,291 8,132 7,449 6,892 6,775 | 36,983 | |
| Total Direct Payments | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $2,384,831 $35,825,181 $27,809,134 $27,130,013 $26,736,740 |
$26,003,173 $26,066,891 $24,861,769 $25,024,691 $24,271,558 |
$246,113,982 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 1,101 9,173 8,406 8,865 8,450 | 7,687 6,977 6,331 5,945 5,961 | 14,735 | |
| Total Counter Cyclical Payments | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $1,628,368 $32,886,031 $12,368,365 $37,361,527 $37,503,062 |
$24,247,408 $14,209,418 $26,187,162 $3,763,530 $0 |
$190,156,229 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 253 3,698 3,757 7,781 8,098 | 3,226 3,043 2,913 2,777 0 | 10,625 | |
| Average Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE) | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 | |
| Production Flexibility Contracts | Payments | $0 $32,526,698 $30,844,352 $29,995,871 $27,687,389 $26,353,980 |
$21,035,362 $19,249,171 $-2,794,177 $-38,080 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$184,860,567 |
| Recipients | 0 9,415 9,553 10,078 9,709 10,126 | 9,863 9,847 1,983 88 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 14,638 | |
| Mkt. Loss Asst. - Commodity Crops | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $14,814,250 $28,689,219 $28,610,599 |
$24,110,256 $10,660 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$96,236,315 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 9,946 10,158 10,330 | 10,211 26 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 12,806 | |
| Market Loss Assistance - Non-commodity | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $521,202 $15,710,165 |
$6,943,901 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$23,175,295 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 122 15,442 | 15,551 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 15,596 | |
| Oilseed Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,709,568 |
$3,171,475 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$4,881,043 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 2,148 | 2,145 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 2,713 | |
| Deficiency Payments | Payments | $13,760,807 $-2,539,311 $-1,439,975 $-31,142 $-11,428 $-13,783 |
$-2,979 $-4,385 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$9,717,689 |
| Recipients | 5,287 3,272 933 26 10 19 | 5 4 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 5,325 | |
| Loan Deficiency Payments | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $6,925,873 $24,059,617 $29,797,467 |
$26,786,062 $12,139,940 $1,851,225 $8,240,978 $18,469,011 $8,968,580 |
$5,192,685 $2,415,475 $3,732,374 $51,544 $0 |
$148,605,341 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 1,598 2,604 2,884 | 2,542 1,496 398 1,214 1,672 622 | 356 100 161 24 0 | 4,483 | |
| Total Commodity Certificates | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $101,387 $457,983 |
$9,079,034 $119,675 $0 $2,562,580 $1,419,728 $38,496 |
$696,113 $0 $1,047,423 $0 $0 |
$15,630,025 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 5 9 | 158 10 0 118 128 4 | 26 0 66 0 0 | 371 | |
| Total Ldp-like Grazing Payments | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$62,786 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$62,786 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 69 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 69 | |
| Marketing Loan Gains | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $174,279 $931,380 $2,213,755 |
$2,659,108 $1,135,876 $94,649 $729,173 $1,097,524 $1,563,627 |
$550,712 $0 $487,746 $0 $0 |
$11,662,181 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 69 131 195 | 216 132 28 61 150 270 | 35 0 94 0 0 | 720 | |
| Total Dairy Program | Payments | $224,626 $308,585 $41,851 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $2,305,653 $2,271,606 $528,663 $53,162 $1,083,695 |
$168,361 $0 $2,992,117 $216,558 $0 |
$10,194,877 |
| Recipients | 74 90 58 0 0 0 | 0 111 110 97 75 88 | 79 0 75 78 0 | 237 | |
| Wool And Mohair Programs | Payments | $4,779 $1,168 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$5,947 |
| Recipients | 11 4 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 11 | |
| Total Lamb Payments | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $3,174 |
$670 $2,136 $0 $0 $7,110 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$13,360 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 3 | 3 6 0 0 12 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 21 | |
| Total Livestock Indemnity Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $83,080 |
$0 $25,823 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $36,192 $51,447 $6,599 $17,463 |
$220,604 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 117 | 0 5 0 0 0 0 | 0 26 10 7 7 | 166 | |
| Misc. Farm - Subsidies | Payments | $11,306 $-28,685 $-14,789 $-8,860 $438,512 $706,503 |
$591,192 $6,645,292 $2,006,722 $357,546 $319,181 $277,888 |
$3,330 $4,408 $6,831 $0 $373 |
$11,317,056 |
| Recipients | 40 62 39 49 491 750 | 879 795 320 198 272 105 | 199 210 16 0 4 | 2,987 | |
| Total Peanut Load-in Charges | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 | |
| Hard Winter Wheat Incentive Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 | |
| Total Agricultural Trade Adjustment Assistance Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $173,001 $236,526 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $1,493,794 |
$1,913,321 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 48 32 0 | 0 0 0 0 151 | 190 | |
| Total Storage Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $10,762 $169,482 $0 $0 |
$180,244 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 9 85 0 0 | 90 | |
| Total Step 2 Cotton Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 | |
| Total Emergency Compensation Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 | |
| Tobacco Payment Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $3,912,130 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$3,912,130 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 14,346 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 14,346 | |
| Total Tobacco Transition Payments | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $18,195,278 $17,584,029 $16,768,491 $16,466,786 |
$69,014,584 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 1,159 1,169 1,124 1,120 | 1,278 | |
| Biomass Crop Assistance Programs | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 | |
| Payments | $10,211,893 $10,208,415 $9,047,985 $9,911,573 $12,610,628 $13,116,123 |
$15,786,766 $14,913,832 $17,304,726 $20,320,257 $18,000,119 $19,614,357 |
$24,651,254 $34,317,410 $35,172,874 $36,054,824 $54,352,997 |
$355,596,033 | |
| Recipients | 13,281 11,573 9,562 8,592 9,976 10,767 | 10,223 9,698 9,803 10,587 10,139 9,879 | 9,708 10,022 9,932 9,588 10,086 | 173,416 | |
| Subtotal, Conservation Programs | Payments | $13,614,381 $12,662,064 $12,909,080 $9,812,633 $8,584,402 $10,780,160 |
$13,972,622 $11,922,067 $10,491,806 $11,189,309 $18,965,595 $19,229,579 |
$18,633,459 $20,930,805 $17,832,530 $10,975,508 $6,722,221 |
$229,228,221 |
| Recipients | 6,879 6,426 6,324 5,178 4,920 5,280 | 5,780 5,847 5,568 5,631 6,315 6,410 | 6,347 6,244 5,934 4,833 4,343 | 17,912 | |
| Conservation Reserve Program | Payments | $11,210,329 $11,217,933 $11,230,304 $7,848,022 $6,956,046 $8,509,548 |
$10,778,760 $8,922,742 $7,661,412 $7,419,177 $8,055,357 $7,839,471 |
$7,472,394 $7,198,417 $7,347,352 $7,456,655 $6,722,221 |
$143,846,142 |
| Recipients | 5,637 5,652 5,657 4,718 4,503 4,742 | 5,103 5,133 5,026 5,046 5,385 5,371 | 5,202 4,923 4,894 4,713 4,343 | 11,847 | |
| Env. Quality Incentive Program | Payments | $0 $117,789 $658,643 $1,406,508 $1,199,027 $1,566,164 |
$1,370,095 $1,476,742 $1,741,093 $2,664,150 $4,242,774 $6,630,098 |
$7,147,542 $8,641,151 $6,773,403 $1,897,026 $0 |
$47,532,203 |
| Recipients | 0 84 218 364 382 389 | 344 301 290 413 653 929 | 997 1,124 858 110 0 | 3,609 | |
| Total Conservation Security Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $2,125,708 $2,945,913 |
$3,333,702 $3,693,085 $1,510,787 $0 $0 |
$13,609,196 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 226 279 | 272 301 166 0 0 | 373 | |
| Agricultural Conservation Program | Payments | $1,739,122 $1,326,341 $964,923 $491,091 $360,517 $124,429 |
$48,791 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$5,054,930 |
| Recipients | 1,111 845 538 204 131 53 | 19 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 2,103 | |
| Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $178,372 $318,726 |
$532,447 $671,393 $924,725 $109,859 $0 |
$2,735,522 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 65 109 | 156 152 166 11 0 | 389 | |
| Emergency Conservation | Payments | $73,412 $0 $55,211 $67,012 $68,812 $580,019 |
$600,872 $1,123,216 $815,635 $624,333 $645,404 $0 |
$0 $454,072 $438,255 $0 $0 |
$5,546,252 |
| Recipients | 12 0 50 11 22 250 | 274 513 356 293 266 0 | 0 95 76 0 0 | 1,914 | |
| Grasslands Reserve Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $3,520 $0 |
$3,520 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 3 0 | 3 | |
| Misc. Conservation Payments | Payments | $591,518 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$434,024 $22,315 $0 $50,142 $10,989 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$1,113,443 |
| Recipients | 375 0 0 0 0 0 | 227 6 0 8 4 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 611 | |
| Total Agricultural Management Assistance | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 | |
| Farmland Protection Program (fpp) | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $2,396,116 $592,000 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$3,177,562 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 3 3 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 5 | |
| Resource Conservation & Development Program (rcd) | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 | |
| Wetlands Reserve Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$740,080 $377,052 $272,617 $0 $1,310,875 $901,370 |
$146,040 $230,991 $690,187 $1,508,448 $0 |
$6,609,451 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 10 11 8 0 20 12 | 7 8 9 10 0 | 68 | |
| Water Bank Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 | |
| Subtotal, Disaster Payments | Payments | $6,179,920 $-65,721 $208,402 $472,517 $36,351,123 $27,891,830 |
$30,445,675 $7,850,338 $39,784,682 $2,554,575 $22,345,281 $982,163 |
$5,062,324 $23,544,715 $7,216,208 $6,839,823 $3,456,725 |
$221,120,581 |
| Recipients | 1,076 40 92 34 4,572 4,011 | 3,645 4,182 3,983 678 1,710 174 | 711 3,338 1,078 790 505 | 10,375 | |
| Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $5,107,534 $1,420,873 |
$6,528,407 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 516 132 | 573 | |
| Misc. Disaster Payments | Payments | $6,172,454 $-65,464 $208,402 $472,517 $33,690,226 $26,271,791 |
$26,467,068 $3,032,531 $38,217,061 $2,195,497 $22,215,300 $844,823 |
$4,906,806 $21,443,809 $1,674,492 $1,278,653 $2,016,509 |
$191,042,476 |
| Recipients | 1,057 36 92 34 2,917 2,975 | 2,796 722 2,673 285 1,668 93 | 577 1,661 398 259 396 | 6,639 | |
| Livestock Disaster / Emergency | Payments | $1,282 $0 $0 $0 $2,530,968 $1,620,039 |
$3,978,607 $0 $1,373,212 $360,487 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $5,541,716 $398,437 $13,815 |
$15,818,100 |
| Recipients | 7 0 0 0 2,261 1,583 | 1,705 0 1,611 406 0 0 | 0 0 962 85 3 | 4,136 | |
| Karnal Bunt Programs | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 | |
| Tree Assistance - Total | Payments | $6,183 $0 $0 $0 $129,929 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $129,981 $137,340 |
$0 $188,272 $0 $0 $0 |
$654,508 |
| Recipients | 14 0 0 0 6 0 | 0 0 0 0 44 82 | 0 124 0 0 0 | 150 | |
| Programmatic Environmental Assistance | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 | |
| Specialty Crop Hurricane Disaster Program | Payments | $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 |
$0 |
| Recipients | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 | |
| Crop Ins. Premium Subsidy - Barley | Payments | $4,482 $3,045 $2,177 $1,702 $1,702 $1,788 |
$1,533 $1,644 $563 $497 $1,397 $1,292 |
$1,393 $2,075 $5,174 $2,751 $2,892 |
$36,107 |
| Recipients | 36 33 18 17 19 28 | 18 24 21 25 25 23 | 24 18 21 21 18 | 389 | |
| Crop Ins. Premium Subsidy - Corn | Payments | $1,136,591 $1,752,255 $1,264,226 $1,449,528 $1,703,435 $1,668,998 |
$2,133,075 $2,492,621 $2,911,023 $3,610,402 $3,175,013 $3,249,644 |
$8,145,325 $9,076,556 $9,572,224 $9,997,764 $14,142,293 |
$77,480,973 |
| Recipients | 2,994 2,592 2,187 1,949 2,382 2,571 | 2,475 2,336 2,376 2,545 2,462 2,411 | 2,422 2,494 2,435 2,419 2,499 | 41,549 | |
| Crop Ins. Premium Subsidy - Oats | Payments | $5,116 $6,157 $4,353 $2,722 $5,672 $6,251 |
$8,869 $11,042 $8,175 $14,606 $12,948 $9,653 |
$13,607 $23,649 $35,631 $23,712 $15,430 |
$207,593 |
| Recipients | 219 207 124 121 154 180 | 177 184 195 240 233 221 | 210 208 299 278 289 | 3,539 | |
| Crop Ins. Premium Subsidy - Peanuts | Payments | $128,494 $85,746 $72,619 $81,586 $89,917 $98,560 |
$108,626 $60,413 $96,629 $316,893 $664,982 $681,989 |
$770,469 $1,098,919 $743,264 $922,397 $1,264,928 |
$7,286,431 |
| Recipients | 152 116 107 95 106 114 | 101 91 121 310 421 541 | 565 642 655 704 799 | 5,640 | |
| Crop Ins. Premium Subsidy - Sorghum | Payments | $7,421 $2,867 $997 $4,297 $8,721 $16,570 |
$9,674 $1,949 $14,154 $8,880 $16,639 $16,245 |
$23,700 $28,101 $45,172 $41,905 $116,475 |
$363,767 |
| Recipients | 107 65 47 36 47 67 | 63 60 69 88 92 87 | 69 71 105 124 145 | 1,342 | |
| Crop Ins. Premium Subsidy - Soybeans | Payments | $2,118,998 $2,396,903 $1,879,818 $2,222,207 $2,189,815 $2,217,271 |
$2,533,166 $2,455,210 $3,182,293 $4,899,506 $3,517,580 $3,529,941 |
$4,834,811 $10,903,238 $11,498,176 $8,915,142 $9,204,547 |
$78,498,622 |
| Recipients | 3,393 2,772 2,209 1,944 2,394 2,661 | 2,576 2,428 2,466 2,636 2,550 2,477 | 2,436 2,534 2,483 2,463 2,517 | 42,939 | |
| Crop Ins. Premium Subsidy - Cotton | Payments | $3,990,733 $3,023,497 $2,654,647 $3,041,175 $4,310,188 $4,490,246 |
$5,489,704 $3,960,672 $4,921,158 $4,727,893 $4,805,077 $6,149,117 |
$3,540,332 $3,779,390 $3,100,942 $7,086,992 $18,471,005 |
$87,542,768 |
| Recipients | 1,636 1,326 1,134 1,045 1,239 1,384 | 1,364 1,247 1,207 1,293 1,290 1,298 | 1,262 1,268 1,199 1,195 1,360 | 21,747 | |
| Crop Ins. Premium Subsidy - Wheat | Payments | $589,989 $587,632 $567,127 $424,153 $487,353 $424,084 |
$409,088 $473,983 $629,281 $641,902 $619,637 $524,983 |
$838,761 $2,159,621 $2,739,565 $1,640,432 $2,884,455 |
$16,642,046 |
| Recipients | 2,086 2,060 1,582 1,284 1,475 1,548 | 1,316 1,322 1,402 1,563 1,517 1,466 | 1,470 1,571 1,706 1,682 1,720 | 26,770 |
Note: The information on conservation spending for 2011 is incomplete due to missing data from USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service. In addition some payments made in 2010 were not assigned to recipients in the data received from NRCS. Those payments are also not included.
The information provided for the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) provides an inaccurate picture of how WRP payments are distributed. USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service uses title companies as intermediaries to finalize wetlands easements under the Wetlands Reserve Program. As a result, the data provided to us shows large sums of money going to these title companies. In reality, the payments are ultimately distributed to landowners participating in the WRP.
Unfortunately, NRCS has not provided the data to show where these farms and wetlands are located or which farmers or landowners are enrolling in the program, so EWG is unable to allocate these large sums of money to individuals beyond the title companies. Therefore, these companies skew the conservation rankings and payment concentration, which EWG cannot avoid unless and until NRCS makes available the additional farm attribution data. Therefore, we have not included WRP payments in the 2011 data update.
We have separated data on farm commodity, disaster and conservation payments in order to provide a more accurate picture of top recipients and concentration of payments among the three main categories of USDA programs.
Finally, EWG works hard to ensure the accuracy of the information it provides through its products and services, but obtains data for the Farm Subsidy Database from the U.S. Department of Agriculture pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. Therefore, EWG cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information USDA provides or any analysis based thereon. If you find an error or discrepancy on the site, please contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office to check its records before contacting EWG.
