A 17.2-billion dollar 20122 ag spending bill is set for mark up today (Tuesday) in a House Appropriations Subcommittee. That’s nearly 2.7-billion dollars less than the final fiscal year 2011 amount – which was a 14-percent reduction from the year before. A legislative draft released Monday shows discretionary funding for ag research would be reduced by 354-million dollars next year. Nearly 200-million of that would come from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Cuts to nutrition spending would total more than 900-million dollars, 486-million would come from food aid and rural development would be cut by 338-million. Funding for farm loan and risk management programs would be reduced by a combined 127-million dollars. The full Appropriations Committee will hold a mark up on May 31st.