Farm Programs: Additional Steps Needed to Help Prevent Payments to Participants Whose Incomes Exceed Limits Government Accountability Office Author

A variety of federal farm programs provide benefits to participants, including payments, to help protect against the risks of low crop prices or bad weather, among other hardships. These payments are made in accordance with individual program rules to participants who own agricultural land or produce certain crops. In addition, conservation payments provide assistance to participants to help them safeguard environmentally sensitive land by, for example, retiring land from agriculture or implementing practices such as erosion control measures that protect the land during farming. Participants can receive these payments directly or through legal entities including partnerships, corporations, and trusts.