OIG's Thoughts

Via Chris Clayton at DTN, USDA's OIG has a report out reviewing the results of their and GAO's audits as in the light of lessons for the new farm bill:

• they ding RMA and NRCS for deficient controls over operations and they're going to look at FSA controls on the biomass program.
• SNAP--going to compare SNAP database with SSA's Death file.
• staffing and workforce planning issues for FSA, FS, and FSIS.
• concerns for FSA on peanut prices (NASS inaccurate), controls on farm-stored collateral, and problems with MILC "dairy operation" definitions.
• concerns for NRCS on controls of conservation easements and management controls for CSP
• concerns for FNS on SNAP: checking background of participating retailers, security of the EBT system and control of SNAP retailer fraud
• FSA controls over emergency loans, over loan collateral, over interest rates on guaranteed loans