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Another often overlooked fact is that overproduction is fairly small in relation to total farm production. Between 92 and 95 per cent of our agricultural abundance each year moves through regulsymarketing channels. Although stocks of some products have become excessive, we should not forget that we must carry stocks as an insurance against emergencies at home or abroad.
Price support, crop storage, and conservation programs cost each American less than $12 in taxes last year. Their benefits to consumers are hard to measure. .If there had been too litttle food, its cost certainly would have been higher. . Agricultural research and education are another baigain we get for our tax dollars. Last year, USDA expenditures for research and education totalled about $200 million_about $1.10 per capita.
And few consumers are aware of the tremendous savings they realize because of increasing efficiency. For example, if our farmers today were still using the prac-. tices available in 1940, it would cost $13 billion more a year just to produce our feed and fiber. That amounts to $288 for each of the Nation’s families. » Here’s another fact few consumers realize. This yearly saving of $13 billion in production costs is more than twice the cost of all agricultural research conducted in this country_by USDA, by all the States, by all our industries— in the last 100 years!
What else does the consumer get for his agricultural tax dollar? Better health, for one thing.
Federal meat inspection costs about $21 million a year—less than 12 cents per person. And the sole purpose of meat inspection is to assure the public of a clean, wholesome supply.
Brucellosis eradication is another program aimed primarily at public health protection. Federal costs for this program are around $20 million a .year—a little over 11 cents per person.
The general public also benefits from the school lunch and special milk programs of USDA. Last year, these programs cost the Federal Government about $305 million. This is about $1.69 each on a per capita basis.
What did we get for this $1.69? We helped furnish noonday meals,
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