《FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL POLICIES - DO BLACK FARM OPERATORS BENEFIT》.pdfVIP

F E D E R A L A G R I C U L T U R A L P O L I C I E S : D O B L A C K F A R M O P E R A T O R S B E N E F I T ? Hezekiah S. Jones Findings of this study support the contention that benefits from federal agricultural programs accrue primarily to a few very large producers while small producers receive only minimal amounts, and black pro- ducers, even less. Not only does this study confirm the belief that, as a whole, black farmers receive only a very thin slice of the benefit pie but it makes clear the fact that their individual share is much smaller than their white counterparts. Although low product volume is an obvious and often cited factor contributing to this inequity, these find- ings indicate that another very important factor is low program partici- pation. Underparticipation by black farm operators is primarily attrib- uted to racial discrimination against blacks, the negative attitude of many black farm operators toward government programs, failure of some to access available information, and poor decision-making skills of others. From their inception in the early 1930s agricultural programs have had two primary policy goalsthe support of farm income and the stabiliza- tion of agricultural prices. However, the effectiveness of various mecha- nisms used to achieve these goals has been severely criticized. Commod- ity programs, in particular, have been blamed for distorting farm income distribution and reducing U.S. competitiveness in international markets.l The ability of these programs to achieve desired objectives has been questioned from the beginning and, after six decades