E-Mail   RSS

Stimulus Package Will Benefit Ag Industry

From the National Assn. of Wheat Growers:

In mid-January house democrats proposed an $825 billion stimulus measure including $275 billion in tax breaks and $550 billion in spending that touches almost every area of the federal budget including agriculture.

The bill included $245 million for Farm Service Agency information technology systems considered necessary to implement the 2008 Farm Bill.

An additional $209 million was included for Agricultural Research Service facilities across the country. ARS has a list of deferred maintenance projects at its facilities worth roughly $315 million.

Other funding items included:

• $100 million to guarantee $2 billion in loans for farming, ethanol production and other rural business activities.
• $8 billion to guarantee up to $80 billion in loans for proven renewable and transmission technologies.
• $2 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy research, development and deployment.
• $1.5 billion to support $3.8 billion in grants and loans to help rural communities fund drinking water and wastewater treatment systems.
• $400 million for Natural Resources Conservation Service watershed improvement programs.
• $2.825 billion for rural broadband infrastructure.
• $20 billion for food stamps.
• $30 billion in highway infrastructure.

For more on items included in the House proposal, including bill text, please visit:
http://appropriations.house.gov/

Share this page: