Farm bill helps the biggest producers

An Iowa State University analysis confirms the majority of the money in theemergency farm bill will go to a small number of farm operations. I-S-UEconomist Mark Edelman says the funding formula is based on production, notthe economic need of the farmer.Edelman says many people unfamiliar with the process may believe the moneywill help the farmers who are experiencing the most difficulty.Iowa’s share of the emergency aid is an estimated 600-million dollars.Edelman says small and medium sized farmers aren’t totally left out of themix, but he says the large operations see the most benefit.About four-precent of the producers account for half the production in thestate. He says the average county’s production is grown by about 30 farmoperations. Edelman expects this to be an ongoing issue as the consolidationof farm operations continues.The total money headed to Iowa from the 2000 farm bill, including emergencyaid, is an estimated one-point-five-billion dollars.