Vilsack announces biomass subsidies

Des Moines Register
Blog post by Philip Brasher • pbrasher@dmreg.com • October 21, 2010

The Agriculture Department is releasing rules today for a program that will compensate farmers for producing energy crops such as switchgrass that can be turned into biofuels. The USDA issued the regulations in conjunction with a speech in biofuels that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was set to make at the National Press Club this morning.

Under the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, farmers can get payments of up to 75 percent of the cost of establishing eligible perennial crops and payments for up to five years for annual or non-woody perennial crops. Subsidies for woody perennial crops can go up to 15 years. The USDA started making payments under the program last year but then put it on hold.

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