Nearly 40 programs funded by the USDA are in limbo after the Farm Bill expired. The Congressional Research Service identified dozens of programs that need new budget authority to continue.
The list includes trade programs, that groups like the National Corn Growers Association say are needed now, like the Foreign Market Development program. "The biggest concern right now is the FMD funding. Some of that goes away, and right now in this challenging market that we have, anything we can do to help increase exports is beneficial, but if we shut those programs down, that's a concern," said Brandon Hunnicutt, a member of the National Corn Board.
Nebraska.tv lists the other programs whose future is unclear. These are Commodity, Conservation, Trade, Nutrition, Rural Development, Research and Extension, Energy, Horticulture, and Crop Insurance Programs, and some miscellaneous programs: currently totaling 39 programs, worth $2.8 billion.
