In 1950, there were six million farms across the United States. Today, only 1.9 million remain. Eight percent of those farms control 72 percent of production, according to a study by the Virginia-based Sparks Companies, an agricultural research firm. The problem is that government payments are largely calculated by acreage and production rather than need. Family farm advocates say aid should be designed to assist those in greatest distress, not just those able to produce the most.
Most farmers get no aid.
But even with government payments, family farmers are just barely surviving. Agribusiness groups brush aid inequality aside. The federation says farmers and ranchers need subsidies to provide a safety net. Farmers have been hurt recently by record low prices for their products, high fuel costs, and bad weather. A financial crisis in Asia also reduced demand for U.S. agriculture products.