12/21/2021

Federal Watchdog: Former Administration's USDA Overpaid Corn Farmers by $3 Billion

Those in the South benefited more than their peers

The Trump administration overpaid corn farmers by about $3 billion in federal aid in 2019 and farmers in the South were paid more for the same crops than those elsewhere in the country, a federal watchdog agency has found.

In a report released Monday, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said international disputes resulting from tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump hurt farmers but that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s county-by-county methodology for computing the extent of damage was flawed, leading to overpayment and inconsistent compensation.

"Though corn yields are higher in the Midwest and West, corn producers received an estimated average of $69 per acre in the South, $61 in the Midwest, $34 in the Northeast and $29 in the West," the report said.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Associated Press.