Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is a subdivision of the Department of Agriculture that administers farm loans, commodity and marketing programs, conservation efforts, and disaster assistance. Its programs help stabilize farm income, support land and water conservation, provide credit to new or disadvantaged farmers, and aid recovery from natural disasters. The agency was established in it's current form in 1994.

In FY 2024,

$7.61B

was spent by the Farm Service Agency
In FY 2024,

3.7%

of Dept. of Agriculture spending was by the Farm Service Agency

How much does the Farm Service Agency spend?

The Farm Service Agency spent a net total of $7.61 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 3.7% of the $203.4 billion spent by the Department of Agriculture, which itself was 3% of all federal spending. The FSA ranked 4th among USDA subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Farm Service Agency ranked 4th among Department of Agriculture divisions in net spending in 2024.

USDA net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Farm Service Agency’s federal spending has decreased from $28 billion in 1994 to $7.61 billion in 2024.

The Farm Service Agency’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1994.

Yearly federal net spending by FSA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1994–2024

Since 1994, the Farm Service Agency's spending has decreased 72.8%, while overall spending has increased 118.1%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. FSA spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1994, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, FSA accounted for 0.1% of overall federal spending.

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Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Farm Service Agency’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1994.

Net spending by FSA as a share of federal spending, FYs 1994–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, the Farm Service Agency transferred 0.1% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net FSA spending.

How did the Farm Service Agency spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to FSA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Farm Service Agency?

Some 3,402 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Farm Service Agency as of September 2024. This is 35.3% fewer people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Farm Service Agency has decreased 35.3% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for FSA, September 2010–2024

The Farm Service Agency accounts for 0.1% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in 2024 compared to 2010 (0.2%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Farm Service Agency’s share of the workforce (0.1%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.1%).

Who leads the Farm Service Agency?

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is led by an Administrator. The Administrator of the FSA reports to the Secretary of Agriculture. There is no fixed term for this position.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

  • Office of Personnel Management

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  • Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury

    Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement

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