Payments to CO-OPs

GAO examined whether the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) procedures for making payments to cooperative marketing associations (Co-Ops) were adequate for ensuring that Co-Op member's payments stay within annual statutory limits. GAO found that: (1) USDA exercises little oversight over the marketing gains and loan deficiency payments received by individual Co-Op members; (2) USDA does not determine whether Co-Op payments are within statutory limits or if individual members have received the benefits they are entitled to; and (3) out of the 10 Co-Op examined, there were no instances of individual Co-Op members exceeding the annual statutory limit of $75,000 per person.