Glickman Announces Marketing Loans for 1999 - Crop Honey
                                                               
                                            Release No. 0495.99
                                                               
                                                               
                                 Steve Thompson, (202) 720-7961
                                steve_thompson@wdc.fsa.usda.gov


GLICKMAN ANNOUNCES MARKETING LOANS FOR 1999-CROP HONEY

     WASHINGTON, December 21, 1999--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today
announced that USDA has extended the Honey Recourse Loan Program to producers
of 1999-crop honey.

     The Honey Recourse Loan Program provides loans to honey producers to
help them market their crop in an orderly manner during a time of low prices. 
By allowing honey producers to pay for expenses without immediate sale of
their crops, the program helps stabilize prices and cushion producers from the
effects of severe market conditions.

     First made available to producers of the 1998 crop of honey, the Honey
Recourse Loan Program was renewed for the 1999 crop by the Agriculture 
Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2000.  

     The Honey Recourse Loan rate for the 1999 crop is $0.59 per pound for
all eligible honey.  The producer must also pay a loan service fee of .005
times the gross loan amount, or $45.00 per loan plus $3.00 for each lot over
the first, whichever is smaller.  The final date for requesting a recourse
loan on 1999-crop honey is March 31, 2000.

     Further information is available at local Farm Service Agency offices
and Department of Agriculture Service Centers, which are usually listed in
telephone directories under "United States Government."

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