Farmers have just over a week to get eligible land enrolled in the CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) this year. Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Richard Fordyce reminded producers that the deadline to sign up is Friday, Aug. 17, 2018.
“Any agricultural producer that has eligible land should review the benefits of this program,” said Fordyce. “It removes from production marginal, erodible land and, in doing so, improves water quality, increases wildlife habitat, and provides more opportunities for recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing.”
For this year’s signup, limited priority practices are available for continuous enrollment. They include grassed waterways, filter strips, riparian buffers, wetland restoration, and others.
FSA will use updated soil rental rates to make annual rental payments, reflecting current values. It will not offer incentive payments as part of the new signup.
USDA will not open a general signup this year, however, a one-year extension will be offered to existing CRP participants with expiring contracts of 14 years or less.
Additionally, FSA established new ranking criteria for CRP grasslands. To guarantee all CRP grasslands offers are treated equally, applicants who previously applied (prior to the current sign-up period) will be asked to reapply using the new ranking criteria.
