By Jamison Cruce
USA Rice
On Saturday, December 21, 2024, President Joe Biden signed into law the American Relief Act of 2025. Congress overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan bill, a continuing resolution (CR) that will keep the Federal government operating through March 14, 2025. It also included farmer economic assistance, weather-related disaster relief for agriculture, and another 2018 Farm Bill extension.
The law provides for $10 billion in funding to make a one-time, emergency payment to eligible commodity producers, including rice farmers, for whom expected revenue in crop year 2024 is below the projected per-acre cost of production and stipulates that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has 90 days to implement the program from enactment of the law (March 21, 2025).