Final USDA Seed Incentive Payments

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2006 – The USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) will begin issuing 2005-crop seed incentive payments under the 2005 Hard White Wheat Incentive Program (HWWIP).

The payments mark the end of the HWWIP, which was authorized by the 2002 Farm Bill for three crop years.

The HWWIP seed incentive payment rate is $2.00 per acre. Hard white wheat producers will receive approximately $1.2 million in 2005-crop seed incentive payments by Aug. 31, 2006.

HWWIP provided funds for seed incentive payments and production incentive payments for the 2003-2005 crops of hard white wheat to encourage domestic production of the crop. CCC distributed final production incentive payments to producers under HWWIP by June 30, 2006. FSA administered HWWIP on behalf of CCC. Producers of hard white winter wheat and hard white spring wheat produced in the United States were eligible for payment.