Broken record

A new report from the Environmental Working Group discloses farm payments topped $21 billion in 2005 - the most since 2001 - despite the fact that 66% of farmers didn't receive any payments. Over 90% of farm payments are reserved for growers of wheat, corn, rice, cotton and soybeans. The EWG said $16 billion of federal farm payments were commodity subsidies in 2005, with $1.9 billion for conservation and $3 billion for disaster aid. This is yet more evidence that Congress needs to make the next farm bill more equitable to fruit and vegetable growers, who receive next to nothing now and yet face the biggest challenges of any agricultural producers. Same song, repeat verse.