Nebraska’s Big 3rd was first among the nation’s congressional districts in farm subsidy dollars for 2005 with a staggering $991.5 million. For details on recipient ownership, location of the farm operation, and total USDA subsidies for the 3rd District in 2005, click here.

Overall, Nebraska was fourth among all states in USDA farm subsidy payments last year, taking in $1.388 billion – the overwhelming majority of which went to the 3rd District. For details on farm subsidies across the entire state, click here.

The Environmental Working Group has posted detailed USDA data on federal payments to farm operations in each state.

The data includes farm subsidy payments for 2005, and for the ten-year period from 1995 to 2005.

Between 1995 and 2005, Nebraska received $9.7 billion making it the fourth-leading recipient of government farm payments.

Between 1995 and 2005, farmers in the 3rd District received $6.8 billion in taxpayer subsidies, making it the third-leading recipient subsidies among all congressional districts for that 10-year period.

For 2005, and for the ten-year period 1995-2005, the subsidy payments by congressional district, by county and statewide can be accessed in a variety of breakdowns, including conservation subsidies, commodity subsidies and disaster subsidies.

Interesting facts on USDA subsidy payments:

• • 35 percent of all farmers and ranchers do not collect government subsidy payments in Nebraska, according to USDA.
• • Among subsidy recipients, ten percent collected 58 percent of all subsidies amounting to $3.93 billion over 11 years.
• • Recipients in the top 10% averaged $45,117 in annual payments between 1995 and 2005. The bottom 80 percent of the recipients saw only $2,066 on average per year.

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