General sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program started Monday and will remain open through April 7.
“CRP has and continues to be a great fit for farmers with less productive or marginal cropland, helping them re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and support wildlife habitat,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.
CRP enrollment is divided into three categories: General, continuous and grassland.
Under general CRP, producers and landowners control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife on cropland by establishing long-term, resource-conserving approved grasses or trees. It also includes a climate-smart practice incentive to increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Dates for grassland CRP program sign-up will be released in the coming weeks, according to the Farm Service Agency. The continuous program sign-up automatically accepts applicants, if the land meets eligibility criteria and the program cap has not been reached.
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Five million acres of land were enrolled in the CRP program during 2022. There are currently 23 million acres already in the program, with 1.9 million set to expire this year. The program is capped at 27 million acres for fiscal year2023 and the agency says it aims to meet that cap.
Landowners and producers interested in signing up for CRP programs should contact their local USDA service center.
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