FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul has again called for cutting waste from the federal farm subsidy program while at the same time declaring that he is ``actually much more moderate'' on the issue than he's being portrayed.

Paul criticized the subsidies Wednesday in an interview on WHAS-AM in Louisville, saying that the program last year paid farmers $1 billion to not grow crops.

``We have the greatest farm production anywhere in the world,'' Paul said. ``We are better at it than anywhere in the world. Instead of letting our farms go fallow, let's grow more and export it. Let's become a great exporter like we used to be.''

The Bowling Green eye doctor also called for an end to subsidies paid last year to more than 2,000 farmers who make more than $2 million a year.

Paul's Democratic opponent, Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, has been criticizing Paul for his opposition to agricultural subsidies. Paul's stand could alienate farmers, an important voting bloc in a heavily agricultural state like Kentucky.

Conway spokeswoman Allison Haley charged that Paul's ideologies could cost Kentucky hundreds of millions of dollars.

``Paul's willingness to yank these programs away from our farmers is another example of why Kentucky can't afford Rand Paul,'' Haley said.

WHAS host Mandy Connell asked Paul about eliminating the Department of Agriculture and farm subsidies. ``The interesting thing is they start out with that being my position, and I'm actually much more moderate than that,'' Paul said before launching into his criticism of the subsidy program.

He didn't address the part of the question about abolishing the Department of Agriculture. Paul first declared his disdain for farm subsidies during a debate with Conway on Kentucky Educational Television in early May, saying he opposes welfare for businesses.

``I don't like the idea of subsidizing business of any sort,'' Paul told The Associated Press a day after his GOP primary win. ``I think business should stand on its own two feet. A lot of the farm subsidies go to multimillion dollar corporations, and I don't think the average citizen should pay taxes to support multimillion-dollar corporations.''

Paul's comments Wednesday were similar to his previous statements on the topic.

``They pay you to let your land go fallow,'' and I don't think that's a good idea,'' he said Wednesday.