摘要：Government payments attained a new high of $22.1 billion in 2000, boosted by $8.9 billion in emergencyassistance and $6.4 billion in loan deficiency payments. In each of the last three years, the U.S.government has reacted to low commodity prices and potential economic adversity with legislation toincrease financial assistance to farmers. Payments forthcoming as part of emergency legislation coupledwith the first extensive use of the Loan Deficiency Payment Program has helped to maintain farm incomeand temper financial hardship for many producers. Since 1996, direct government payments have totalednearly $70 billion. Emergency assistance originating from special legislation comprised $20 billion oftotal government payments during 1996-2000 and is forecast to be $3.6 billion in 2001. Higher cropprices in 2001 will result in nearly $2 billion less in Loan Deficiency Payments, which were a significantcomponent of total payments in 1999 and 2000. Production flexibility contract payments, established inthe 1996 Farm Act, were mandated to trend downward according to a declining fixed allocation budgetedfor each successive year of the program. In 2001, production flexibility contract payments are forecast tobe $800 million lower than in 2000 (figure1).
