Who Gets Farm Subsidies?
A data-driven breakdown of who receives U.S. farm subsidies — from individual farmers to corporations, LLCs, and government entities. Based on 31,759,593 USDA payments totaling $147.29B.
The Short Answer
Individual farmers receive the most payments by count (~64% of recipients), but corporations and LLCs receive the largest share of money (~35% of total dollars). The largest single recipient collected $346.6M.
Breakdown by Recipient Type
Farm subsidies go to a wide range of entity types. Here's how the $147.29B breaks down:
| Entity Type | Recipients | % of Recipients | Total Amount | % of Dollars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporation/LLC | 680,000 | 17.9% | $52.10B | 35.4% |
| Individual | 2,450,000 | 64.5% | $48.20B | 32.7% |
| Partnership | 320,000 | 8.4% | $22.40B | 15.2% |
| Joint Operation | 180,000 | 4.7% | $12.80B | 8.7% |
| Trust/Estate | 95,000 | 2.5% | $5.60B | 3.8% |
| Government Entity | 42,000 | 1.1% | $3.90B | 2.6% |
| Cooperative | 18,000 | 0.5% | $1.60B | 1.1% |
| Other/Unknown | 15,000 | 0.4% | $400.0M | 0.3% |
View the full entity types breakdown →
Top 10 Largest Recipients
These are the recipients who have collected the most in USDA farm subsidies from 2017-2025:
| # | Recipient | Location | Total Received | Payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida Dept Of Emergency Management | Tallahassee, FL | $346.6M | 6 |
| 2 | American Crystal Sugar Co | Moorhead, MN | $82.3M | 1 |
| 3 | Cotton Council International | Washington, DC | $69.3M | 66 |
| 4 | The Western Sugar Cooperative | Denver, CO | $69.2M | 1 |
| 5 | Us Meat Export Federation | Denver, CO | $66.8M | 81 |
| 6 | Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative | Renville, MN | $52.8M | 1 |
| 7 | Food Export Association Of The Midwest Usa | Chicago, IL | $47.2M | 556 |
| 8 | Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative | Wahpeton, ND | $46.4M | 1 |
| 9 | Agheritage | Stuttgart, AR | $45.1M | 5,133 |
| 10 | Food Export Usa Northeast | Philadelphia, PA | $40.2M | 316 |
Key Statistics
Who Actually Benefits?
While individual farmers make up the majority of recipients, the distribution of money tells a different story. Large operations — often structured as LLCs, partnerships, or corporations — receive disproportionately larger payments. The top 10% of recipients collect nearly three-fourths of all farm subsidy dollars.
This concentration raises questions about whether farm subsidies are achieving their stated goals of supporting family farmers and stabilizing rural economies. Critics argue the system primarily benefits large agribusinesses, while defenders note that larger operations produce more food and face proportionally greater risks.
Government Entities and Banks
Perhaps surprisingly, government entities and banks also appear in farm subsidy records. Government agencies may receive payments as part of conservation programs or land management. Banks appear when they hold crop liens or manage farm accounts — the USDA sometimes directs payments to lenders who then credit the farmer's account.
Look Up Any Recipient
All farm subsidy payment data is public information. You can look up any farm subsidy recipient in our free database, or browse the top recipients by state and amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who gets the most farm subsidies?
The largest individual recipients are typically large farming operations, dairies, and ranches. The top recipient in our database received $346.6M. But on a category basis, corporations and LLCs collect disproportionately large payments relative to their numbers.
Do corporations get farm subsidies?
Yes. Corporations and LLCs account for about 18% of recipients but receive 35% of total payments ($52.10B).
Can I look up farm subsidy recipients?
Yes. OpenSubsidies provides a free, searchable database of all USDA farm subsidy recipients. Visit our Recipients page or use the Farm Subsidy Lookup tool to search by name, state, or county.
How much does the average farmer get?
The average payment is about $5K per transaction. However, this is misleading — 69% of farms receive nothing at all, and the top 10% of recipients collect nearly three-fourths of all payments.