Q: What changes did the 2002 farm bill make to the CRP program?
A: The 2002 farm bill increased farmland acres eligible for enrollment in the 18-year-old federal Conservation Reserve Program from 36.4 million to 39.2 million. CRP currently helps shield roughly 34 million acres of U.S. topsoil from erosion, water run-off and sedimentation, including nearly 2 million in Iowa. Farmers enter voluntary contract agreements to remove farm property from agricultural production in 10- to 15-year contracts. As an incentive to remove environmentally sensitive property from their cropped acres, the federal government makes annual rental payments to agricultural producers and shares up to 50 percent of the cost of establishing conservation practices. Participants enrolled in CRP plant long-term, resource-conserving covers to improve the quality of water, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat.
Q: When can farmers bid to re-enroll their expiring CRP acres?
A: The USDA announced a general sign-up for farmers and landowners to enroll expiring CRP contract acres from May 5 to May 30, 2003. In September nearly 1.5 million U.S. acres currently enrolled in the program will expire, including more than 160,000 acres in Iowa. Offers may be made on contracts expiring Sept. 30, 2003 or Sept. 30, 2004. Contracts awarded during this sign-up opportunity will become effective either at the beginning of the coming fiscal year, Oct. 1, 2003 or the following year, Oct. 1, 2004, according to the producer’s preference. After completing the application process, the Farm Service Agency will evaluate and rank eligible CRP bids using the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) measured against all acres offered during the May sign-up. The EBI thresholds are not guaranteed or based on previous contract sign-ups. I encourage farmers to contact their local FSA office for more information or to enroll in the program. Only one other general sign-up will be offered through 2007.