United States Department of Agriculture

Summary of 

Performance and 

Financial Information

Fiscal Year 2013
Fiscal Year 2013 Summary of Performance and Financial Information | 1

About This Summary 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summary of Performance and Financial 

Information for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 includes the most up-to-date performance and relevant 

financial information in a brief, user-friendly format that is easily understood by a reader with 

little technical background in these areas. This report was previously known as the 

Citizen’s Report. The goal of this summary is to increase accountability of agency heads and 

program managers. It will make the financial and performance information more transparent and 

accessible to Congress, the public, and other key constituencies. USDA’s plans and reports are 

available at Performance.gov and USDA Performance.

Who We Are and What We Do 

USDA was founded by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, when more than half of the Nation’s 

population lived and worked on farms. The population has increased approximately tenfold and 

now exceeds 314 million people, the vast majority of whom do not live on farms or in rural 

areas. 

Today, USDA improves the Nation’s economy and quality of life by touching the lives of almost 

every person in America, every day. Nearly 100,000 employees deliver more than $159 billion in 

public services through the Department’s more than 300 programs worldwide. 

Because America’s food and fiber producers operate in a global, technologically advanced, 

rapidly diversifying, and highly competitive business environment, USDA is constantly helping 

agricultural producers meet the needs of the Nation and of the world.

Our Mission Statement 

We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and 

related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management.

Our Strategic Goals

Strategic Goal 1: Assist Rural Communities to Create Prosperity So They are 

Self-Sustaining, Repopulating, and Economically Thriving.

Strategic Goal 2: Ensure Our National Forests and Private Working Lands are Conserved, 

Restored, and Made More Resilient to Climate Change, While Enhancing 

Our Water Resources.

Strategic Goal 3: Help America Promote Agricultural Production and Biotechnology 

Exports as America Works to Increase Food Security.

Strategic Goal 4: Ensure That All of America’s Children Have Access to Safe, Nutritious, 

and Balanced Meals.
United States Department of Agriculture | 2

Summary of Performance Information

The Department achieved historic accomplishments in FY 2013. We have innovated and 

collaborated with partners across the Nation to continue our support for a strong American 

agricultural sector; expand agricultural trade; support our rural communities; ensure a safe food 

supply; and provide critical nutrition assistance to American families in need. 

USDA has accomplished these results in a time of significant uncertainty. Federal budget 

reductions have challenged USDA leaders and employees alike to find new strategies for 

delivering modern, efficient service. In fact, USDA’s discretionary budget that funds our 

operations was a full $1 billion less than it was when President Barack Obama took office—

requiring again that we take steps to deliver service in new and cost-effective ways. 

Blueprint for Stronger Service. Since the initial Blueprint effort began in 2012, USDA has 

identified and achieved more than $1.2 billion in cost avoidances. Notably, to date, this has 

allowed the Department to avoid staff layoffs, as the Federal Government implements acrossthe-board spending reductions under the Sequester.

Innovative Microloan Program. Recognizing the complexity of the existing loan application 

process served as a barrier to participation by small and non-traditional growers, USDA 

developed a microloan program featuring an abbreviated application process, less paperwork, 

and more flexibility in business planning and training and experience requirements. USDA made 

over 3,400 microloans in the last 9 months of FY 2013.

New or Improved Insurance Coverage. Added new insurance coverage or offered improved 

coverage for a wide range of specialty crops, while expanding organic crop insurance to provide 

a wide range of safety net options for producers.

Agricultural Trade. U.S. agricultural exports reached a record $141 billion in FY 2013, 

supporting nearly one million jobs. We administered $242 million in export promotion programs 

that built demand for U.S. products and addressed market access issues. Working with over 70 

industry groups, these programs leveraged significant industry contributions, bringing total 

investments to over $500 million.

Technical Assistance and Conservation Programs. Worked with more than 500,000 

landowners around the United States, providing additional opportunities for producers to enter 

into contracts under the Conservation Reserve Program while expanding the program to more 

than 14 million acres and strengthening landscape-scale conservation initiatives across the 

Nation.

Community Facilities. Continued our record level of investment in rural America. Provided

loans for rural small business, helping rural families buy or repair a home, and helping to ensure 

communities have access to critical infrastructure. Since 2009, USDA has help more than 

804,000 rural families buy, refinance, or repair a home and provided nearly 19,000 grants and 

loans to help approximately 75,000 small rural businesses create and save over 377,000 jobs.
Fiscal Year 2013 Summary of Performance and Financial Information | 3

Renewable Energy. Supported the infrastructure we will need in a new energy economy. This 

year, new awards under the Rural Energy for America Program helped USDA to reach a 

milestone of more than 7,500 projects around the country that are helping producers and rural 

businesses save energy and grow their bottom line. Meanwhile, we took new steps in 2013 to 

support biobased product manufacturing that promises to create new jobs across rural America—

including adding new categories of certified biobased products for Federal procurement. 

Safe Food Supply. Implemented a number of actions to further protect the food supply. For 

example, producers are now required to hold a product until it has passed the Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) testing for adulterants. Directed companies that produce ground and 

comminuted poultry products to reassess their food safety plans to ensure that they appropriately 

address the problem of Salmonella contamination. Began sampling comminuted poultry products 

for Salmonella and will use the results of this sampling to set performance standards. Also, 

conducted a risk assessment to better understand the risk of Listeria monocytogenes in retail 

delicatessens and made recommendations for improving food safety at retail establishments and

proposed labeling for mechanically tenderized beef.

Nutrition Assistance. Delivered critical nutrition assistance to millions of Americans who are 

working hard but struggling to put food on the table, including meals to over 30 million children 

each school day. Worked with schools across the Nation to implement new, healthier meals 

standards authorized under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Implemented new steps 

to ensure that snack foods are healthier during the school day—supporting the efforts of parents 

and teachers to improve children’s eating habits. And, placed a special focus on expanding 

access to meals for low-income children in the summer, when school meals are not widely 

available. 

Agricultural Research. Continued to lead the way in America’s agricultural research. Partnered 

with others, including universities and private industry, across the country to develop the next 

generation of renewable energy and find solutions to some of America’s greatest scientific 

challenges.

The Department had 43 performance goals in USDA’s FY 2013 Annual Performance Plan.

Of the 43 performance goals, 36 (84 percent) were met or exceeded and 7 (16 percent) were 

unmet. The following exhibit provides a summary of actual performance results for each goal.

Exhibit 1: FY 2013 Performance Results

Strategic Goal 1: Assist Rural Communities to Create Prosperity So They are Self-Sustaining, Repopulating, and 

Economically Thriving

Strategic Objectives Annual Performance Goals Result

1.1 Enhance Rural Prosperity

Number of jobs created or saved through USDA financing of businesses Exceeded

Number of borrowers/subscribers receiving new or improved 

telecommunication services (millions) Exceeded

1.2 Create Thriving Communities

Population receiving new or improved service from agency-funded water 

facilities or projects (millions) Exceeded

Homeownership opportunities provided Met
United States Department of Agriculture | 4

Strategic Goal 1: Assist Rural Communities to Create Prosperity So They are Self-Sustaining, Repopulating, and 

Economically Thriving

Strategic Objectives Annual Performance Goals Result

1.2 Create Thriving Communities

Percentage of customers who are provided access to new and/or improved 

essential community facilities

 Health Facilities Exceeded

 Safety Facilities Exceeded

 Educational Facilities Exceeded

Number of borrowers/subscribers receiving new and/or improved electric 

facilities (millions) Exceeded

1.3 Support a Sustainable and 

Competitive Agricultural System

Percentage direct and guaranteed lending to socially disadvantaged farmers Met

Percentage direct and guaranteed lending to beginning farmers Exceeded

Maintain or increase percentage of Farm Service Agency program delivery 

applications at USDA Service Centers that are Web-enabled Met

Value of trade preserved through resolution of foreign market access issues 

such as U.S. export detainment, restrictive sanitary/phytosanitary and 

technical barriers to trade issues, and trade regulations ($billions)

Met

Value of agricultural exports resulting from participation in foreign food 

and agricultural trade shows ($billions) Exceeded

Value of Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) risk protection 

coverage provided through FCIC-sponsored insurance ($billions) Exceeded

Normalized value of FCIC risk protection coverage provided through 

FCIC-sponsored insurance ($billions) Exceeded

Percent of industry compliance with the Packers and Stockyards Act Exceeded

Strategic Goal 2: Ensure Our National Forests and Private Working Lands are Conserved, Restored, and Made More 

Resilient to Climate Change, While Enhancing Our Water Resources

2.1

Restore and Conserve the 

Nation’s Forests, Farms, 

Ranches, and Grasslands

Conservation Reserve Program: Restored wetland acreage (millions of 

acres) Unmet

Conservation Technical Assistance: Cropland with conservation applied to 

improve soil quality (millions of acres) Met

Environmental Quality Incentives Program: Cropland with conservation 

applied to improve soil quality (millions of acres) Met

Conservation Technical Assistance: Grazing land and forest land with 

conservation applied to protect and improve the resource base (millions of 

acres)

Met

Environmental Quality Incentives Program: Grazing land and forest land 

with conservation applied to protect and improve the resource base 

(millions of acres)

Exceeded

Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program: Prime, unique, or important 

farmland protected from conversion to non-agricultural uses by 

conservation easements (thousands of acres)

Unmet

Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program: Non-Federal land with conservation 

applied to improve fish and wildlife habitat quality (millions of acres) Unmet

Environmental Quality Incentives Program: Non-Federal land with 

conservation applied to improve fish and wildlife habitat quality (millions 

of acres)

Unmet

Number of communities with urban and community forestry programs 

resulting from Forest Service assistance (number of communities) Met

Annual acres of public and private forest lands restored or enhanced 

(millions of acres) Met

Volume of timber sold Met
Fiscal Year 2013 Summary of Performance and Financial Information | 5

Strategic Goal 2: Ensure Our National Forests and Private Working Lands are Conserved, Restored, and Made More 

Resilient to Climate Change, While Enhancing Our Water Resources

Strategic Objectives Annual Performance Goals Result

2.3

Protect and Enhance America’s 

Water Resources

Conservation Technical Assistance: Land with conservation applied to 

improve water quality (millions of acres) Met

Environmental Quality Incentives Program: Land with conservation 

applied to improve water quality (millions of acres) Met

Wetlands Reserve Program: Wetlands created, restored, or enhanced 

(thousands of acres) Unmet

2.4

Reduce Risk from Catastrophic 

Wildfire and Restore Fire to its 

Appropriate Place on the 

Landscape

Acres of Wildland Urban Interface fuels treated to reduce the risk of 

catastrophic fire (millions of acres) Exceeded

Percentage of acres treated in the Wildland Urban Interface that have been 

identified in Community Wildfire Protection Plans Exceeded

Strategic Goal 3: Help America Promote Agricultural Production and 

Biotechnology Exports as America Works to Increase Food Security

3.2

Enhance America’s Ability to 

Develop and Trade Agricultural 

Products Derived from New 

Technologies

Cumulative number of genetically engineered plant lines reviewed by 

USDA and found safe for use in the environment Exceeded

Strategic Goal 4: Ensure That All of America’s Children 

Have Access to Safe, Nutritious, and Balanced Meals

4.1 Increase Access to Nutritious 

Foods

Participation rates for the major Federal nutrition assistance programs 

(millions per month): Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Met

SNAP payment accuracy rate (percent) Met

Participation levels for the major Federal nutrition assistance programs 

(millions per day):

 National School Lunch Program Met

 School Breakfast Program Met

Participation levels for the major Federal nutrition assistance programs 

(millions per month): The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for 

Women, Infants, and Children (average)

Met

4.2 Promote Healthy Diet and 

Physical Activity Behavior

Application and usage level of nutrition guidance tools (billions of pieces 

of nutrition guidance distributed) Exceeded

4.3

Protect Public Health by Ensuring 

Food is Safe

Percent of broiler plants passing the carcass Salmonella Verification 

Testing Standard Unmet

Total illnesses from all Food Safety and Inspection Service products Unmet

Percent of establishments with a functional food defense plan Exceeded

4.4

Protect Agricultural Health by 

Minimizing Major Diseases and 

Pests, Ensuring Access to Safe, 

Plentiful, and Nutritious Food

Value of damage prevented and mitigated annually as a result of selected 

plant and animal health monitoring and surveillance efforts ($billions) Exceeded

USDA’s FY 2013 Annual Performance Report contains historical performance trend data as well 

as a comprehensive assessment of each performance goal. The Department’s contributions to the 

cross-agency priority goals and agency priority goals are detailed in Performance.gov.
United States Department of Agriculture | 6

Summary of Financial Information

The FY 2013 Agency Financial Report (AFR) includes USDA’s audited financial statements and 

the Independent Auditor’s Report. In addition to the basic financial statements, the AFR includes 

management’s discussion and analysis, required supplementary information, and other 

information, such as the Schedule of Spending.

The following table presents a snapshot of USDA’s results of operations and financial position. 

This information is based on the same underlying data as the financial statements presented in 

the AFR.

Exhibit 2: A Snapshot of USDA’s Results of Operations and Financial Position

A Snapshot of USDA's

Results of Operations and Financial Position

(In Millions)

FY 2013 FY 2012

Gross Costs $152,861 $164,008

Less: Earned Revenue 8,723 13,062

Net Cost of Operations $144,138 $150,946

Assets:

 Fund Balance with Treasury $86,570 $84,670

 Direct Loan and Loan Guarantees, Net 100,710 95,513

 Other 6,359 12,546

Total Assets $193,639 $192,729

Liabilities:

 Debt $105,040 $93,880

 Other 46,302 59,254

Total Liabilities $151,342 $153,134

Net Position (Assets Minus Liabilities) $42,297 $39,595

Budgetary Resources $243,197 $224,982

Outlays, Net $159,172 $144,053
Fiscal Year 2013 Summary of Performance and Financial Information | 7

Summary of Significant Management Challenges

The Reports Consolidation Act of 2000 requires the USDA Office of Inspector General (OIG) to 

report annually on the most significant management challenges facing the Department.

On August 13, 2013, the OIG reported the following major management challenges. A detailed 

description of the challenges and assessment of the Department’s progress in addressing these 

challenges may be found in the FY 2013 Agency Financial Report.

 Interagency Communication, Coordination, and Program Integration Need Improvement

 USDA Needs to Create Strong, Integrated Internal Control Systems Across Programs

 Information Technology Security Needs Continuing Improvement

 Departmental Outreach Efforts Need to be More Transparent 

 A Proactive, Integrated Strategy Is Necessary To Increase Agricultural Commerce and 

Trade

 Action Needed to Improve Natural Resources Stewardship

 Food Safety Inspection Systems Need Improved Controls

 Identifying, Reporting, and Reducing Improper Payments Can Strengthen USDA Programs

 USDA Needs to Increase Efforts for Appropriately Training and Preparing Human 

Resources

 FNS Needs to Strengthen SNAP Management Controls