Slash and burn

You knew this was coming. It’s just too tempting.
As Republican congressional leaders continue topropose steep reductions in government spending, they havenow targeted agencies that support the food industry with draconian cutbacks.
In a draft of fiscal year 2012 spending released earlier this weekby the House Appropriations Committee’s Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee, Republicans proposed significant cuts to food and farm programs, including12% of the Food and Drug Administration’s $2.5 billion budget—with industry feescharged to the regulated companies potentially making up some of the difference—and major reductions to USDA programs for agricultural research, rural development and rural housing.
The bill would cut almost $832 million—or 12%—from the 2012 budget for the federal nutrition program that provides food for low-income mothers and children and a decrease of almost $457 million, or 31%, from an international food assistance program that provides emergency aid and agricultural development funding for developing countries.
According to the office of Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee, here are some of the specifics in the proposal:

• A reduction of $354 million from last year’s $2.8 billion funding level for agricultural research, affecting the Agriculture Research Service and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, as well as research funding for crop diseases, food safety and water resource management.
• Some $73 million in spending cuts to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service programs for control or eradication of plant and animal pests and diseases
• A reduction of about 12%, or $99 million in Natural Resources Conservation Service programs for air and water quality management, wildlife programs and other conservation initiatives
• A decrease of $338 million from last year’s $2.1 billion spending for rural development programs, which includes direct loans andfederally guaranteed loan programs for low-income rural farers and producers
• a decrease of $285 million (11.5%) to Food and Drug Administrationdiscretionary funding, particularly for food-safety programs