Looking for answers online. (USDA photo)

WASHINGTON, DC -- Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding $6 million to universities and cooperative state extension services to develop online decision tools and other education materials and to train extension personnel to educate producers about key farm bill programs.  The goal is to help farmers and ranchers make sound decisions about base reallocations, yield updates, and what 2014 Farm Bill programs make the most sense for their specific situation.

The Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) at Texas A&M, the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri, and the University of Illinois will share $3 million to develop and launch educational tools to assist farmers and ranchers in making enrollment decisions for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program and the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program. 

"Helping farmers and ranchers understand new Farm Bill programs and what the programs mean for their families is one of USDA's top priorities," said Vilsack. "With the resources we're providing, university experts will help ensure farmers and ranchers are highly educated as they make critical decisions about new programs.  The new tools will empower farmers and ranchers to select the plan that best fits their unique needs."

"For many years, the USA Rice Federation and AFPC have been collaborating on economic and farm policy analysis for the rice industry," said Reece Langley, USA Rice vice president of government affairs.  "We appreciate the strong working relationship our industry has with AFPC and are pleased they will be part of the team developing this important decision making tool for producers.  We look forward to working with them to ensure that our members utilize this valuable tool." 

Langley said producers can find a helpful worksheet on the AFPC website that will need to be filled in prior to using the educational tool.  

Contact:  Lauren Echols, (703) 236-1444

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