Keep those combines rolling (photo by Arkansas rice farmer Ryan Sullivan)
Sep 22, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency announced that final payments for rice farmers through the Rice Production Program (RPP) payment will soon be made.
The RPP is $250 million in assistance specifically for U.S. rice farmers who in 2022 experienced stagnant rice market prices and record high input costs. The funding was provided for in the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act at the request of USA Rice.
Rice farmers who were approved and received a first-round payment will not be required to submit a new application. The final payment rate will be 0.28 cent per pound based on previously reported data, bringing overall assistance to a total of 1.28 cent per pound for crop year 2022.
USDA has indicated that they plan to make these payments ahead of the end of the Federal fiscal year, which is September 30.
“USA Rice greatly appreciates the work of the Farm Service Agency to administer the Rice Production Program,” said Kirk Satterfield, a Mississippi rice farmer and USA Rice chair. “The timely delivery of this assistance has been vital to U.S. rice farmers who faced significant financial issues in the 2022 crop year.”
Satterfield added: “Our sincere appreciation also goes to a true champion for the U.S. rice industry, Senator John Boozman. Many thanks to Senator Boozman and his team whose work brought this much-needed assistance to fruition.”