Rice Program
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Pub. L. 119-21) authorizes nonrecourse marketing assistance loans (MALs) and loan deficiency payments (LDPs) for the 2026 through 2031 crops of rice.
MALs and LDPs are administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).
About the Program
Rice MALs can be redeemed by repayment or settled with the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) upon maturity.
Under certain circumstances, producers may repay at less than the loan rate (principal) plus accrued interest and other charges or redeem with a commodity certificate, as applicable.
Alternatively, LDP provisions specify that in lieu of securing a MAL, producers may elect to receive an LDP. An LDP is the difference the producer would have received if a loan was repaid at the lower market price, a direct benefit that does not need to be repaid.
Contact your local USDA Service center to learn more about rice MAL and LDP provisions before you lose beneficial interest, or control and title, in the crop.
Final Loan/LDP Availability Date for Rice
The rice crop loan/LDP availability date is May 31 of the calendar year after the calendar year the rice is harvested.
Loan Rates
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Pub. L. 119-21) updated the national loan rate for 2026-2031 crops of long grain and medium/short grain rough rice. To achieve the national average rate and provide rate adjustments for different classes and milling out-turns, separate loan rates are provided for whole kernels by class and broken rice.
All loan rates can be found here.
Adjusted Gross Income
For the 2026 though 2031 crop years, producers or legal entities whose average adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds $900,000, are not eligible for marketing loan gains and LDP payments; but are eligible for MALs that must be repaid at principal plus interest exchanged with a commodity certificate if the lower alternative repayment rate is below the established loan rate.
Payment Limitations
LDPs and marketing loan gains available for crop years 2026 through 2031 are not subject to payment limitation, cash rent tenant, or actively engaged in farming provisions.
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