Food For Peace Program and Net Farm Income Continues Decline
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**Washington state Republican Dan Newhouse and other Representatives, along with House Ag Committee Chair GT
Thompson introduced legislation to move the Food for Peace program from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, to the USDA.
For the past 70 years, American farmers and shippers have led the effort to combat international hunger through the Food for Peace program that has fed more than 4 billion people in more than 150 countries.
**Last year's forecast showed the two largest consecutive declines in net farm income history, but that could be improving.
AgWeb.com reports, the year’s first forecast from USDA's
Economic Research Service expects net farm income to reach $180.1 billion, up $41 billion from 2024, while net cash farm income is projected to hit $193.7 billion, up $34.5 billion.
A 34.5% increase in government payments from last year is the key factor behind the income boost.
**A new survey reveals 89% of Americans believe the U.S. should allocate at least one percent of the federal budget to foreign aid, the level currently being spent.
This includes 84% of Republicans and 94% of Democrats.
The survey, conducted by the Program for Public Consultation at the University of Maryland, is especially relevant to U.S. agricultural exporters as foreign aid programs frequently purchase our crops for food aid.
