Download or read book An Overview of Usda Rural Development Programs written by Congressional Research Service and published by . This book was released on 2014-10-09 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than 88 programs administered by 16 different federal agencies target rural economic development. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the greatest number of rural development programs and has the highest average of program funds going directly to rural counties (approximately 50%). The Rural Development Policy Act of 1980 also designated USDA as the lead federal agency for rural development.