Farm Act Disaster Relief Program’s 2008 Buy-In Deadline September 16

Contact: Johnny Broussard, jbroussard@usarice.com, (703) 236-1451

ARLINGTON, VA, September 11, 2008 — The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Act) created five new Supplemental Agriculture Disaster Assistance (SADA) programs, which include Supplemental Revenue Assurance (SURE) Payments. The SURE program is a whole-farm-coverage program that requires producers to purchase at least catastrophic risk protection (CAT) coverage on all insurable crops or Noninsured Crop Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for non-insurable crops on all farms in all counties/parishes where a producer has planted or intended to plant them for harvest.

Producers eligible to purchase crop insurance for 2008, but who did not, may pay a fee at the FSA County Office to be eligible to participate in applicable disaster assistance programs for the 2008 crop-year only. The buy-in deadline is Sept. 16, 2008. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in July that those who miss the opportunity to sign up, will not be eligible for disaster assistance. The 2008 buy-in fee does not provide any CAT crop insurance coverage or NAP coverage but does allow producers to gain eligibility to participate in applicable disaster programs. Any potential disaster assistance benefits would be based upon actual on-farm losses as determined by FSA per the forthcoming regulations for the program.

Contact your local FSA office for more information.

—30—

The USA Rice Federation is the global advocate for all segments of the U.S. rice industry with a mission to promote and protect the interests of producers, millers, merchants and allied businesses.