Summary: Because of concerns raised about the obstacles faced by beginning farmers in obtaining financing to enter agriculture and the declining number of farms in the United States, GAO reviewed Federal and State efforts to help beginning farmers.
Federal assistance programs for people entering farming consist primarily of loans and loan guarantees. Eleven bills were introduced in the 96th and 97th Congresses to target Federal programs to beginning farmers. Although most of the programs in 14 States that assist beginning farmers are also loan and loan guarantee programs, two State programs provide land for new farmers. The current Department of Agriculture (USDA) analysis of farm trends describes net changes in farm numbers, but it does not provide data on numbers of farmers entering or leaving farming, and there are little data on the impact of existing farm programs on beginning farmers or the farm sector. Without an understanding of the changes in the farmer population and the impact of existing programs on beginning farmers, it is difficult for Congress to consider changes to farm programs that would successfully assist the beginning farmer. Raw data are available nationwide at county agricultural offices that can be used to determine the numbers of farmers entering and leaving farming and to obtain information about the numbers of people wishing to enter farming. USDA could collect and tabulate this data within existing resources and provide farmer demographic information, a profile of the beginning farmer situation, a basis for evaluating the existing programs' impact on beginning farmers, and data for evaluating proposed legislation.
