1、Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS21615Updated September 14, 2005Farm Commodity Programs: Base Acreage and Planting FlexibilityJim MonkeAnalyst in Agricultural PolicyResources, Science, and Industry DivisionSummaryUn
2、der the 2002 farm bill, farmers were given a one-time opportunity to update theirfarms base acreages and program yields, which are used to determine direct andcounter-cyclical payments. Previously, yields had been frozen since 1985, and basessince the mid-1990s. USDA data indicate that 78% of farms
3、benefitted from theopportunity, with 37% of farms updating base acreage for all crops, and 41% addingoilseed acreage to their 1996 base acreage. Regional differences were apparent,particularly between western regions, which tended to make fewer changes, andmidwestern and eastern regions, which more
4、frequently added oilseeds or updated bases.Two policy issues have arisen regarding planting flexibility on base acres,particularly restrictions on growing fruits and vegetables as an alternative crop. First,some Midwestern producers felt penalized because their history of growing fruits andvegetable
