Program Timeline

• Application review & ranking - June 2026
• Acre allocation - June 2026
• Enrollment meetings - Week of July 20^th-24^th 2026
• Documentation & practice implementation
• Premium & Reimbursement payments - Spring 2027

Growers must enroll acres for the premium program and implement and provide documentation of conservation practices on enrolled acres. Conservation rice payments must be used for the costs associated with implementing conservation practices or services.    

1. A premium of $0.25/bu on up to 170bu/acre on enrolled acres where an eligible conservation practice has been implemented and documented and the rice was delivered to Riceland. 
2. 25 percent of total funding for each participant must be used for conservation rice incentives. These payments will reimburse farmers for costs associated with implementing conservation practices under the following categories:

1. Technology and Data Utilization:  Software platforms, technology services, etc.
2. Consulting and Planning Services:  Crop consultants, soil sampling program, etc. 
3. Conservation Supplies & Equipment (not to exceed $10,000 per piece of equipment): Grain bin monitoring equipment, technology hardware (tractor sensors/monitors),  irrigation automation etc.
4. Conservation Education & Training:  Educational Conferences  (i.e. Cotton and Rice) 

Eligibility:

1. Participants must have either signed up or participated in Riceland Ingrain Good® Programs or Riceland Carbon Ready™ prior to March 21, 2026 
2. Participants must be willing to implement conservation practices and document practices aligned with NRCS Standards 
3. Farmers must provide all necessary information to apply and enroll in the program (FSA 578s, Subsidiary Prints, FSA Maps) and be willing to receive direct deposit payments 
4. In order to participate, a farmer must deliver (a.) a minimum of 440 acres or (b.) 40 percent of the rice they grow to Riceland Foods, Inc. 
5. Rice acres signed up through the Next-Gen program must be delivered to Riceland Foods before March 31, 2027 
6. Farmers who do not have a delivery history in 2024 or 2025 will have to sign a multi-year delivery agreement. Signing a multi-year agreement does not guarantee premium payments on all delivered acres after year one of the program.  

Example: Grower does not have delivery history in 2024 or 2025, he/she signs up for 440 acres in year one of the Next-Gen Impact Program™ (2026). They must commit to bringing 440 acres in year 2 of the program (2027) but may not receive program payment on all 440 acres in year 2 (2027).  

Ranking Criteria:

Our targeted number of farmers is 125 based on our USDA agreement. Depending on the level of interest and number of applications, additional ranking criteria may be used to prioritize applications. These criteria could include, but are not limited to, factors such as delivery history, green rice versus dry rice, delivery volumes, acre enrollment, and other relevant considerations deemed important to the selection process.