USA Rice
Vice President
Government Affairs
By now, you have probably heard the details on USDA’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP), backed by $10 billion from the American Relief Act of 2025, but if you haven’t, I’ll share them, and how to apply for the assistance, but I also want to offer some thoughts on the topic in general.
USA Rice worked tirelessly to make the case for the rice industry in the ECAP and the program will deliver much-needed support to rice producers and other commodity farmers, and we are grateful for it. With declining prices, inflated input costs, and punishing interest rates, this program offers timely help. Rice growers will be eligible for payments of $76.94 per planted acre, and 50% of prevented planted acreage is also eligible for support. The first round of payments will be prorated at 85%, with more to follow later in the year as funds allow.
Pre-filled applications are being mailed to eligible producers and you need to file it electronically or in person at your local FSA office by Aug. 15, 2025.
All told, an estimated $200 million will flow to rice farmers through ECAP. And make no mistake — this money will help. But it’s important to remember that this is an emergency contingency program. It’s not where rice farmers want to be.
I don’t want to come off as ungrateful — I’m not, and I know you aren’t either. But we all know rice growers would rather have a functioning marketplace that lets them grow a quality crop and sell it at a fair price, rewarding their hard work with the business and life they chose.
They don’t want to have to rely on federal assistance to stay afloat, but as any farmer will tell you, there’s a lot out there beyond their control. In today’s market, with unfair trade practices abroad and rising costs at home, many farmers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. So the emergency relief is welcome news — but it’s no replacement for real, long-term solutions.
Unfortunately, we don’t operate on a level playing field. Countries like India continue to manipulate the global rice market through illegal subsidies and export bans, distorting prices and putting American farmers at a disadvantage. At the same time, growers here at home face skyrocketing production costs and higher interest rates on operating loans. It’s a one-two punch that leaves little margin for survival.
And then of course there’s the lack of a Farm Bill. The 2018 Farm Bill is long expired and we’re working on our second extension that is utilizing production estimates established in 2012. Think of how your operation has evolved over the past 13 years.
If we had a Farm Bill with a higher reference price under the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program, emergency assistance like ECAP wouldn’t be needed.
USA Rice has fought hard to secure this emergency funding and is working closely with USDA to ensure the program is implemented fairly and efficiently. But make no mistake — what farmers want most isn’t a bailout. It’s the chance to make a living on their own terms, in a fair market that values their crop and their commitment. In the absence of this environment, we know there’s no substitute for the longer-term certainty offered by a good Farm Bill.
For now, ECAP will help keep farmers going. But lasting solutions are long overdue, and rest assured that USA Rice continues to advocate in the halls of Congress each day for a meaningful Farm Bill that is effective for this year.