1、96-351 ENRUpdated May 20, 1996Received through the CRS WebWheat, Feed Grains, Cotton, Rice, and Oilseeds Provisions of theEnacted 1996 Farm Bill1Geoffrey S. BeckerSpecialist in Agricultural PolicyEnvironment and Natural Resources Policy DivisionSUMMARYThe Agricultural Market Transition Act (Title I
2、of the 1996 farm law) ushers in a newsystem of price and income supports for producers of wheat, feed grains, cotton, rice, andoilseeds. The new system offers a 7-year production flexibility contract to producers withcropland enrolled in the old grains or cotton programs in one of the past 5 years.E
3、achcontract will provide fixed, but declining, annual payments that no longer are tied to marketprices, to the planting of a specific crop, or to annual land set-aside requirements. The newlaw earmarks about $37 billion through 2002, effectively creating, for the first time, an annuallimitation on s
4、uch direct payments. In addition, marketing assistance loans are offered formost producers of wheat, feed grains, rice, cotton, and oilseeds.DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PROGRAMFor decades, federal law has required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to offerprice and related support to producers of