Commodity Payments

GAO provided information on the distribution of deficiency payments under the Department of Agriculture's income support program during crop year 1993. GAO noted that: (1) about 1.1 million individuals received payments under their own name or through entities, general partnerships, or joint ventures; (2) the average deficiency payment varied from one commodity to another; (3) 76 percent of these individuals received payments totalling $5,000 or less; and (4) the largest payments were for rice and cotton, while the lowest payments were for grain and grain products.