Agriculture Department spending would fall 14 percent in the new fiscal year, due almost entirely to reduced SNAP benefits with the end of the pandemic, said the White House on Thursday. It proposed relatively modest initiatives at the USDA for fiscal 2024, such as offering free school meals to more poor children, while seeing golden potential in the new farm bill for broad-scale change.
“The 2023 farm bill is a crucial opportunity for American agriculture and rural America to transform the food and agricultural system from one that benefits a few to one that benefits many, while strengthening the USDA’s nutrition programs, which are among the most far-reaching tools available to improve the health and well-being of Americans,” said the White House in a 182-page budget summary. The phrasing echoed recent speeches by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Farmers, ranchers, and foresters could see new revenue through climate-smart agriculture, bio-based products, renewable energy, local and regional food systems, and other value-added products, said the White House.
Equally, it said, “this is an important moment to consider” the removal of barriers to food assistance for vulnerable groups, such as low-income college students, resident of U.S. territories, and “SNAP recipients facing time limits,” an apparent reference to so-called ABAWDs — able-bodied adults without dependents — who are limited to 90 days of food stamps in a three-year period unless they work at least 20 hours a week, perform workfare, or are in a job training program.
USDA spending was forecast at $209.7 billion in fiscal 2024, which begins on Oct. 1, down 14 percent from the $243 billion spent this year, said chief budget officer John Rapp during a teleconference. SNAP would account for $32 billion of the $33 billion decrease, with lower enrollment and reduced monthly benefits.
As recommended by the White House hunger conference last fall, the administration proposed an expansion of the Community Eligibility Provision to provide free school meals to an additional 9 million children. The CEP allows schools in high-poverty areas to offer meals for free to all students.
The White House proposed a $208 million funding increase, to $1.2 billion, for land stewardship programs run by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. In addition, it proposed $400 million for the ReConnect program to improve rural access to high-speed internet service. Another initiative would revive the $5-an-acre premium benefit on crop insurance for growers who plant cover crops.
The budget proposal “restores American leadership in agricultural innovation and research,” said the White House. The Biden budget proposes a $299 million increase for ag research, education, and outreach funding, for a total of $4 billion in fiscal 2024. China is now the largest government funder of agricultural research and development, ahead of the United States and the EU.
To read the 182-page budget summary, click here.
For a dozen White House fact sheets about aspects of the budget, click here.