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In 2021, 103 farmers in cities within Zapata County received a total of $754,046 in 192 farm subsidies, a 36.7% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.2 million in 293 farm subsidies.
Though farm subsidies support agriculture in the U.S., pumping $7 trillion into the economy, they are not without controversy.
The American Action Forum discovered that the most highly subsidized crops - corn, soy, wheat, and rice - are often consumed in highly processed ways, which leads to unhealthy eating habits and obesity, while the fruits and vegetables needed for a healthy diet are rarely subsidized.
"We are consuming more calories, fats, sodium, and sugars, and not enough beneficial nutrients and vitamins," Tara O'Neill Hayes wrote. "It is critical that both policymakers and the American public understand the influence that federal agricultural subsidies have on our food supply and diet and, in turn, our nutrition and health."
Farm subsidies have also been criticized for assisting the highest-earning agricultural businesses, not local farmers on their family farms who are barely getting by.
Kimberly Amadeo of The Balance said farmer subsidies "help high-income corporations, not poor rural farmers. Most of the money goes toward large agribusinesses."
The U.S. has provided farm subsidies since the Great Depression to assist farmers who weather price fluctuations and disasters, to help maintain consistent farming across the country.
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rathmell Land & Cattle Company, Ltd. | $197,852 | $108,053 | -45.4% |
| Jose Garza Jr. | $42,859 | $67,157 | 56.7% |
| Elvira V. Padilla | $46,367 | $28,320 | -38.9% |
| Robert Frank Ashley Jr. | $30,633 | $28,040 | -8.5% |
| Norberto Lopez | $19,946 | $27,816 | 39.5% |
| Don Jose Land and Cattle Company, LLP, Ltd. | $0 | $26,508 | -- |
| Reagan Cattle Company, Inc. | $112,173 | $25,820 | -77% |
| Javier Zapata | $18,297 | $25,800 | 41% |
| Manuel M. Garcia Jr. | $24,875 | $25,623 | 3% |
| Jaime G. Garza | $28,959 | $22,333 | -22.9% |
| Daniel Flores | $54,223 | $19,878 | -63.3% |
| Luis Alfonso Lozano | $8,049 | $18,916 | 135% |
| Manuel Maria Zepeda | $36,391 | $17,384 | -52.2% |
| Delfino Lozano IV | $41,064 | $16,802 | -59.1% |
| Oscar X. Gonzalez | $43,648 | $16,540 | -62.1% |
| Jose M. Ramirez Jr. | $18,027 | $16,421 | -8.9% |
| Rodolfo Alvarez | $13,010 | $15,315 | 17.7% |
| Crisanto Meza | $8,998 | $12,580 | 39.8% |
| Mark O. Alvarenga | $20,200 | $12,383 | -38.7% |
| William David Lane | $26,833 | $10,728 | -60% |
| Jose T. Perez III | $19,341 | $9,725 | -49.7% |
| MBH Flores Cattle Company, LLC | $0 | $9,225 | -- |
| J Flores & Sons Cattle Company, Ltd. | $4,818 | $8,481 | 76% |
| International Bank of Commerce | $3,644 | $7,051 | 93.5% |
| Zaragoza Rodriguez III | $13,857 | $6,598 | -52.4% |
| Turner River Ranch | $0 | $6,536 | -- |
| Mario Javier Garza | $14,293 | $6,341 | -55.6% |
| Armando B. Paredes | $12,090 | $6,245 | -48.3% |
| Cammie L. Morgan | $0 | $5,660 | -- |
| Fidencio Mendoza Jr. | $10,061 | $5,440 | -45.9% |
| Rebecca R. Guerra | $0 | $5,066 | -- |
| Humberto Yzaguirre | $4,966 | $4,830 | -2.7% |
| Lozano Cattle Company, LLC | $5,535 | $4,603 | -16.8% |
| Jose A. Guerrero | $13,800 | $4,486 | -67.5% |
| James M. Harvey | $485 | $4,432 | 813.8% |
| Sergio A. Lozano | $8,279 | $4,322 | -47.8% |
| Hector M. Vela | $4,364 | $4,300 | -1.5% |
| Lloyd Eli Hickman | $1,650 | $4,266 | 158.5% |
| Raul Guerra Jr. | $9,984 | $4,248 | -57.5% |
| Romeo G. Canales | $11,581 | $4,073 | -64.8% |
| Ernestina V. Rodriguez | $5,869 | $3,985 | -32.1% |
| P. H. Coates IV | $6,015 | $3,916 | -34.9% |
| David Burger | $5,857 | $3,850 | -34.3% |
| Clovis R. Barker | $11,380 | $3,579 | -68.6% |
| Homero Martinez | $2,013 | $3,240 | 61% |
| Jaime A. Martinez | $6,752 | $3,092 | -54.2% |
| Tomas Ramirez Jr. | $6,173 | $3,084 | -50% |
| Felipe Gonzalez Jr. | $4,335 | $3,084 | -28.9% |
| Michael Keese | $3,492 | $3,006 | -13.9% |
| Fernando Munoz Jr. | $7,009 | $2,967 | -57.7% |
| Kristy Chancy | $2,639 | $2,642 | 0.1% |
| Jose W. Lopez | $2,134 | $2,377 | 11.4% |
| Irene G. Harber | $8,732 | $2,223 | -74.5% |
| Carlos A. Garza | $0 | $2,088 | -- |
| San Juanita Sanchez-Umphres | $0 | $2,079 | -- |
| Raquel V. Rodriguez | $3,933 | $2,041 | -48.1% |
| Karran Westerman | $3,925 | $1,946 | -50.4% |
| Roberto Gutierrez | $8,207 | $1,900 | -76.8% |
| Robbie Ann Wells | $4,412 | $1,848 | -58.1% |
| Diana L. Garza | $0 | $1,845 | -- |
| Flavio Sergio Gonzalez | $2,640 | $1,836 | -30.5% |
| Milford R. Zirkel Jr. | $520 | $1,822 | 250.4% |
| John Lautzenheiser | $2,036 | $1,802 | -11.5% |
| Flavio A. Garza Jr. | $4,795 | $1,794 | -62.6% |
| Juan M. Vela | $3,936 | $1,622 | -58.8% |
| Raul David Guerra | $2,557 | $1,558 | -39.1% |
| George Goodwin | $6,378 | $1,544 | -75.8% |
| Juan Garza | $2,836 | $1,537 | -45.8% |
| Fernando Gonzalez | $3,566 | $1,514 | -57.5% |
| Nicolas Gutierrez | $2,234 | $1,433 | -35.9% |
| Rafael Garcia | $4,077 | $1,388 | -66% |
| Myrna Bustamante | $1,498 | $1,367 | -8.7% |
| Aaron Pena Jr. | $0 | $1,301 | -- |
| Erin Hahn Edwards | $3,331 | $1,278 | -61.6% |
| Ramiro Guerrero | $470 | $1,268 | 169.8% |
| Jorge Leonel Garcia | $3,649 | $1,194 | -67.3% |
| Guadalupe Jose Villarreal Jr. | $410 | $1,136 | 177.1% |
| United States of America, Farm Service Agency | $0 | $1,132 | -- |
| Carlos L. Gonzalez | $2,642 | $1,090 | -58.7% |
| John M. Singleton | $1,557 | $974 | -37.4% |
| Alonso A. Barrera | $988 | $971 | -1.7% |
| Enoch Lopez | $2,890 | $946 | -67.3% |
| Lester C. Arnold | $2,472 | $906 | -63.3% |
| Jose Luis Saenz | $2,289 | $891 | -61.1% |
| Carmen L. Garcia | $3,336 | $837 | -74.9% |
| Andres Guerra | $5,428 | $724 | -86.7% |
| Juventino Zapata Jr. | $2,210 | $707 | -68% |
| Amada Gonzalez | $4,084 | $696 | -83% |
| Lee W. Bailey | $939 | $692 | -26.3% |
| L. D. Moore | $4,409 | $675 | -84.7% |
| Sandra M. Falcon | $0 | $660 | -- |
| Salvador Zavala Jr. | $0 | $429 | -- |
| Antonio A. Mendoza | $11,970 | $394 | -96.7% |
| Humberto Gonzalez Jr. | $2,317 | $394 | -83% |
| Rosa Alicia Garcia | $220 | $354 | 60.9% |
| Fernando Rodriguez | $2,096 | $330 | -84.3% |
| Gerardo L. Rodriguez | $0 | $330 | -- |
| Dagoberto Chapa Sr. | $768 | $269 | -65% |
| Emiliano Vela III | $3,555 | $259 | -92.7% |
| Carlos E. Hurtado | $184 | $245 | 33.2% |
| Noe A. Lopez | $1,144 | $239 | -79.1% |
| Rebecca R. Munoz | $0 | $220 | -- |
| Flat Lander Farms, Inc. | $875 | $151 | -82.7% |
| Don D. Wilson | $454 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard Turner | $483 | $0 | -100% |
| Javier Eduardo Munoz | $2,048 | $0 | -100% |
| United States of America, Farm Se | $4,257 | $0 | -100% |
| Carlos R. Saenz | $3,190 | $0 | -100% |
| Don Jose Land and Cattle Company, Ltd. | $44,866 | $0 | -100% |
| Eduardo M. Villarreal | $2,644 | $0 | -100% |
| Eliseo J. Perez | $3,637 | $0 | -100% |
| Miriam P. Laisure | $1,080 | $0 | -100% |
| Roberto Guerra | $705 | $0 | -100% |
| United States of America, Farm Se | $2,554 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,191,253 | $754,046 | -36.7% |
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