Background for 1990 Farm Legislation: U.S. Feed Grains

摘要

Feed grains (corn, sorghum, barley, and oats) lead all crops in terms of production value and acres planted. During 1988 their value of production totaled $15.3 billion, or 22% of all crops grown, while planted area totaled 101.6 million acres or 33% of principal crop acres planted. Domestic use accounts for about 73% of total disappearance with most going into livestock and poultry feed. Food, seed, and industrial uses claim the remaining domestic share with items such as ethanol, high fructose corn syrup, barley malt, oats bran, and other beverage and food items. Policy issues for 1990 legislation include the level and flexibility of price and income supports, functioning of the CCC storage program and the farmer-owned reserve, acreage reduction and conservation reserve programs, programs to compensate producers for disaster, programs to enhance exports, conservation and environmental issues, and policy effects on trade, the livestock sector, resources, consumers, and taxpayers.