GAO Reviews of Department of Agriculture and Related Agencies' Activities

GAO has completed several reviews in the past year relating to food production and marketing, food assistance, farm and rural credit, farmland and certain administrative matters. In the food production area, the reviews covered the wheat and feed grain set-aside programs, the sugar and rice programs, and the dairy program. In the food marketing area, GAO has covered cooperatives, grain inspection, transportation regulations affecting food, direct farmer-to-consumer marketing, and the export credit sales program. Work on food assistance programs has shown the need for increasing program effectiveness and overcoming the problems of fraud, abuse, waste, and mismanagement. Concerning farm and rural credit, GAO pointed out the benefits to farmers and ranchers of consolidating the three separate banking systems under the Farm Credit System. In a report on preserving America's farmland, GAO said that governmental control of the Nation's land use traditionally rests at the State and local levels, but that the Federal Government could be more supportive of efforts to preserve farmland. Administrative concerns included (1) a need for the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service to develop better work measurement standards and to adequately document its workload forecasts, and (2) poor planning and management in the Farmers Home Administration's computer-based information system. Among other matters considered by GAO were the dilemma faced by the Food and Drug Administration and USDA regarding the use of nitrite in meat products and the Farmers Home Administration's rental assistance program. Finally, GAO continues to monitor and assist USDA in updating the food, agriculture, and nutrition inventory, which was prepared earlier.