Us Government Accountability Office

Farm Programs: Direct Payments Shouls Be Reconsidered Us Government Accountability Office

Federal law mandates support for farmers through various programs, including direct payments. USDA, through its Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), calculates direct payments using a formula that factors in ?base acres,? a measure of a farm?s crop production history based on the number of acres planted on the farm during certain past years. The term base acres refers to a farm?s average planted acreage of specific crops during those years; the term does not refer to specific physical acres on that farm.