We are getting a closer look at the Biden administration’s budget for USDA. The $31 billion dollars is a $3 billion dollar increase from this year.
Addressing climate change continues to be one of the top priorities in the Biden administration’s funding proposals.
The 2023 fiscal year USDA proposal includes an additional $1.8 billion investment to address climate, mostly being put toward NRCS programs, and another $1 billion specifically proposed to support conservation efforts on the farm.
In the Agricultural Marketing Service Budget, USDA is requesting an additional $10 million for enforcement and oversight of the Packers and Stockyards Act, to support three new rules coming down the line. The department is also looking to continue expanding small and local processing capacity with $44 million dollars to help cover USDA inspector fees.
For rural communities, USDA is looking to improve broadband connectivity with a $113 million dollar increase in reconnect funding over the current level, and an additional $300 million to modify rural electric loans to bring greener, more affordable energy.
To improve access to all of their programs, the budget proposes an additional $39 million dollars for USDA’s new Rural Partners Network, which puts boots on the ground to facilitate rural development.
The administration will also continue its focus on equity, with $51 million to support farmers and landowners trying to resolve heirs property issues and $315 million for minority institutes and historically black colleges and universities.
For the nutrition programs, the budget requests $111 billion for SNAP to support 43.5 million Americans per month, up 1.2 million from participants from 2021. A senior USDA official told reporters it is not unusual for SNAP recovery to lag behind nationwide economy recovery as the nation rebuilds from the pandemic.
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