Which of the following is a function of the Department of Agriculture?

• A. Buys all Surplus Food
• B. Education Program
• C. Market Goods
• D. Set Minimum Agricultural Prices

Answer: (A)

Stabilizing farming communities through procurement of surplus is a key way the Department of Agriculture supports the market. When farmers produce more than what domestic buyers need, the department can purchase that excess. This creates a guaranteed market for farmers, helps keep prices from collapsing, and can stockpile food for later use or distribution. In practice, this purchasing role directly implements price-support objectives by acting as a buyer of last resort, which is a clear and concrete function of the department.

The other options don’t fit as well. An education program belongs to education-focused agencies and isn’t a primary agricultural policy function. “Market goods” is too vague to describe a specific government function. Setting minimum agricultural prices is indeed a policy tool in some systems, but the act of buying surplus food best captures the department’s direct role in supporting farmers and stabilizing markets.