The United States Department of Agriculture to provide Arizona cotton farmers a total of $300 million in one-time assistance to tackle low 2015 cotton prices. Starting this week, Arizona farmers can apply for the program.

Arizona, along with California and New Mexico, can get up to $97 an acre — that’s the highest regional payment allowed, almost double that of mid-south states. But payments are capped at $40,000 per applicant.

The higher amount in the West comes from regional costs of ginning cotton and how much more cotton per acre the area can produce.

Rick Lavis, director of the Arizona Cotton Grower’s Association said that they believe this is an appropriate opportunity to strengthen the cotton industry, in Arizona particularly.

The acres of cotton grown this year in Arizona have gone up but as China controls the market, cotton prices in the last few years have dropped sharply.

Local farmers have a chance at the highest dollar per acre for their cotton grown last year.