Farm bill’s highlights
• Increase nutrition programs, including food stamps and emergency domestic food assistance, by more than $10 billion. Also expand a program to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to schoolchildren.
• Expand subsidies for certain crops, extend dairy programs and increase loan rates for sugar producers. Would have the government buy surplus sugar and sell it to ethanol producers.
• Cut a per-gallon ethanol tax credit that supports blending fuel with the corn-based additive from 51 cents to 45 cents in favor of more money for cellulosic ethanol, which is made from plant matter.
• Add dollars for conservation programs designed to protect farmland.
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• Eliminate loopholes that allow farmers to collect subsidies for multiple farm businesses.
• Pay farmers for weather-related farm losses out of a $3.8 billion disaster assistance fund.
• Give tax breaks to owners of race horses.
