Reviews of Department of Agriculture Activities

GAO provided information on the results of some of its reviews concerning Department of Agriculture activities and related presidential budget proposals including: the Dairy Price-Support Program, the subject of parity as a tool for formulating and evaluating agricultural policy, the suspension of grain sales to Russia, the Farmer-Owned Grain Reserve Program, the need for railroads to make better use of their freight cars, and changes in user charges to fund special benefit services. GAO is evaluating the nationwide cooperative extension system. GAO also reported on the need for centralized control in the National Plant Germplasm System; the need for better data on which to base commodity purchases and donations; the status of corrective actions taken on past recommendations contained in past reports dealing with fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in several food assistance programs; the status of the Food for Development Program; the status of the concessional food sales program; and improvements needed in the expanded food and nutrition program. GAO is reviewing the Resource Conservation Program to assess whether program activities could be carried out under other Federal programs or by other delivery systems. GAO reported on cost sharing for future water resource projects, the financing of the Rural Electrification Administration, the Farmers Home Administration's direct lending activities, and the use of alcohol as a motor vehicle fuel.