Horizon Ag, BASF announce 0% financing for rice seed and crop protection

Rice farmers in the South can better manage for increased profitability by taking advantage of 0% APR financing on Horizon Ag Clearfield and Provisia rice seed and BASF crop protection products under a new program utilizing the Multi-Use Account offered through John Deere Financial.

Eligible rice seed varieties from Horizon Ag include all of its Clearfield varieties - CL111, CL151, CL153, CL163, CL172, CL272, and CLJ01 - followed by Clearpath herbicide or Newpath herbicide.

In addition, the program includes Provisia rice variety PVL01 followed by Provisia herbicide. Customers can also finance other BASF crop protection products applied to their rice acres - Beyond herbicide, Facet L herbicide, Sharpen herbicide or Prowl H2O herbicide.

"Horizon Ag and BASF have long partnered to give rice farmers more options, more flexibility and more opportunities to improve profitability," said Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag General Manager. "This 0% APR financing program is a good example of that partnership, providing rice farmers an important cash flow management tool at a time when many are facing significant financial challenges.

"Everything we do, from providing proven, high-performance Clearfield rice varieties to bringing to market seed for the latest technology like the Provisia Rice System, is done with the goal of helping farmers be more profitable."

For example, a 500-acre rice farmer who takes full advantage of the financing program by purchasing Horizon Ag Clearfield or Provisia rice varieties and the identified BASF herbicides, could save as much as $10 per acre, based on current interest rates, he said.

The flexibility of the program also is particularly important to rice farmers this year, when many of them are holding off on finalizing crop mix decisions until they have a clearer picture of commodity prices and opportunities for 2019.

"A lot of farmers are telling us they are still digesting information from this season and aren't ready to commit to what they'll plant next year," said Dr. Walker. "With this financing program, we are saying we are here with you if you want to make decisions now. And, if you want to wait and make decisions in the spring, we are still with you. You will not be penalized for waiting until spring."

The 0% APR financing program, part of a farmer's Multi-Use Account with John Deere Financial, runs from October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019, with payment due in full in December 2019. The offer is valid in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Illinois.

For more information, farmers can call 1-800-356-9033 or contact their local Horizon Ag and BASF Authorized Retailers.