Rice Producers To Begin Receiving Safety-Net Payments In November

LITTLE ROCK — Beginning next month, new safety-net programs will provide payments to nearly 1 million farmers, including rice farmers who were disadvantaged by the elimination of direct payments, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday.

According to a news release from Vilsack’s office, the timing of the elimination of direct payments under the 2014 Farm Bill meant that 2014 crop year payments would not be made until late 2015. Combined with a drop in commodity prices, that meant producers had to repay production costs twice and obtain financing at least once by the end of the 2015 season.

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