The President’s Budget Request for FY21 identifies $57.7 billion in savings from reforming mandatory agricultural programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The bulk of this savings, $43.2 billion, comes from reforming agricultural programs that subsidize incomes of agricultural businesses. This is a 6.7 percent decrease from the $46.1 billion in savings identified in the 2020 budget request. An additional $14.5 billion in USDA-related savings is derived from imposition of food inspection user fees and modifications to various child nutrition and commodity purchase programs.

It should be noted the president has proposed massive savings in the agricultural safety net through each of his four budget requests. Yet when given the opportunity to advocate for change, President Trump has instead ghosted reformers, increasing the role of the federal government in the farm sector’s balance sheet. He signed the income entitlement expanding 2018 Farm Bill despite many of his common sense proposals being stifled from debate by the House Rules Committee and Senate Leadership. And there is his trade war that not only undermines any notion of stability and predictability in farm country, but has resulted in a promised $28 billion in unbudgeted bailout spending.

Taxpayers will likely have to wait for release of USDA’s detailed budget justification for further details regarding eliminating lower priority Farm Bill programs, eliminating redundant farm bill programs, and rescinding ability to collect duplicative assistance.