Research and Extension Programs to Aid Small Farms

Gao ID: RCED-83-83 February 9, 1983

GAO reviewed the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) actions to implement the recommendations made in a 1975 GAO report to ensure that small-farm research and extension programs are practical, beneficial, and cost-effective.

The current GAO examination showed that research and extension services have been increased and that data collection activities have been expanded since the 1975 GAO report. However, to date USDA has neither: (1) developed data on the overall costs and benefits of small-farm extension activities; nor (2) adequately encouraged State extension services to establish procedures to identify small farmers most in need of assistance and to establish action plans to improve the participants' farming skills.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Brian P. Crowley Team: General Accounting Office: Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division Phone: (202) 512-9450


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