Rice growers are being encouraged to prepare for applying for funding support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A total of $250 million is being made available through the new Rice Production Program. Rice farmers that endured losses in 2022 will be eligible for assistance. The application portal will not officially open for several weeks, but USDA is taking preemptive action to simplify the process.
“USDA intends to use the streamlined approach it has utilized on other disaster programs to speed program implementation,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “By leveraging Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency data for the Emergency Relief Program, USDA saved farmers and staff significant time, and we think this approach will help us provide an initial payment more quickly with a final payment after the application period has closed.”
Prefilled applications are being sent to rice growers to streamline the application process once it becomes available. The application window will officially open after a Notice of Funding Availability is published in the Federal Register. Payments will be capped at $125,000 for operations with gross farm income below 75 percent of their adjusted gross income (AGI). However, a request for exemption can also be filed in seeking a higher payment limit. Farmers with 75 percent or more AGI from farming can qualify for a $250,000 payment limit.
Initial payments will be issued shortly after applications are returned. Final payments will then be issued following the closure of the application window. Payment rates will be determined by average actual production history, county yield and the amount of certified rice acres determined by the number of planted acres and acres that were prevented from being planted. Funding and authority for the payments were established in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. USDA will use current data that is one file to issue payments to rice producers.
About the Author
