The Administration's 2007 farm bill proposal is separate from its FY2008 budget request. The direct loan program would bear most of the decrease in loan authority (-12%), although it accounts for most of the increase in loan subsidy. Programs of the NRCS would increase by $195 million to $2.0 billion in FY2008. The request reflects recommended changes in the Administration's broader farm bill proposal, which proposes to consolidate some existing conservation programs. Marketing and Regulatory Programs

For the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the USDA agency that protects U.S. agriculture from domestic and foreign pests and diseases, the FY2008 budget request proposes an appropriation of $946 million, an increase of about $100 million above the FY2007 appropriation. 480 foreign food assistance, the Administration requests a $1.2 billion appropriation ($1.3 billion program value with carryover and reimbursements), all of it for Title II commodity donations. The absence of Title I funds would effectively reduce spending on FFP. This program level would be supported by a requested appropriation of $2.05 billion (including salaries and expenses). The FY2008 request is approximately $23 million more in budget authority and $985 million more in program level than estimated for FY2007. Domestic Food Assistance

Domestic food assistance represents the majority of the USDA budget.
The Administration's FY2008 budget request for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) includes $92.2 billion in budget authority. Proposed discretionary budget authority would increase 1.6% from FY2007 levels to $20.3 billion. Mandatory budget authority would remain nearly steady at $71 billion; formula-driven increases in crop insurance and domestic food assistance would offset decreases in commodity program payments. The Administration's 2007 farm bill proposal is largely separate from its budget request, although a $500 million per year placeholder for new spending is included in the FY2008 budget amounts. In its FY2008 request, the Administration proposes to use foreign assistance funds to purchase food in foreign markets. For agricultural research, competitive funding would replace some formula funding. Several conservation and rural development programs would be reduced or cut. Food safety and animal health protection programs would increase. This report will not be updated, but will be followed by a CRS report tracking the FY2008 agriculture appropriations bill.