I believe it is 24 million acres that are in the CRP program where farmers get paid to NOT raise crops.
My mom worked for a while in my home county’s ag extension office. One of her duties was helping the farmers who came in there register for the available government programs. She told me there was a 10’ shelf behind her desk full of the program manuals and rule books. Mom liked the job as our family had gotten to know many of the other farmer “clans” throughout the county since our family became farmers and 4-Hers in the mid-60s. She could socialize and catch up on “who’s doing what now.” Socializing...but Mom was always puzzled why so-and-so would come in that ag office and apply for “assistance”. These guys were big-time operators. What?
It dawned on her these program applications weren’t because of need. They were there “just because”, and you’d be a fool not to get yours. Mom got pretty jaded about the whole deal and quit.
Q: How to you starve a farmer?
A: Weld his mail box shut.