The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced plans to distribute more than $2.14 billion in payments to eligible agricultural producers and landowners.
The funds, issued through key conservation and safety-net programs, aim to support natural resource conservation and help keep family farms economically sustainable. Payments will be made through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), with the bulk allocated to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and other essential risk management initiatives.
The USDA will distribute more than $1.7 billion through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and CRP Transition Incentive Program (CRP TIP). Additionally, over $447 million will be issued via the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage (ARC/PLC) programs. To further enhance CRP’s effectiveness, FSA has also committed $21 million to projects designed to measure the program’s conservation outcomes.
“Conservation and safety-net program payments are significant investments in preserving and protecting our valuable and vulnerable natural resources, and they provide protection for producers impacted by market volatilities,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “These programs support voluntary land stewardship and provide agricultural producers with risk protection and production stability, keeping them in business and feeding the world.”
Conservation Reserve Program Payments
FSA will issue more than $1.7 billion in annual rental payments to farmers and landowners through CRP and CRP TIP. These payments are made to participants who establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to mitigate soil erosion, improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitats on land taken out of production. CRP contracts typically last 10 to 15 years.
This year, over 2.2 million acres were enrolled in CRP programs, including Grassland, General, and Continuous signups. The current enrollment stands at nearly 26 million acres, providing significant environmental and economic benefits across the country.
Top Five States for CRP Acreage:
- Colorado: 2,978,741 acres
- South Dakota: 2,626,430 acres
- Nebraska: 2,423,361 acres
- Texas: 2,225,310 acres
- Kansas: 2,040,412 acres
Investments in CRP Monitoring and Evaluation
The USDA has invested $21 million in projects to improve CRP monitoring, assessment, and evaluation. These projects include new technology to measure the benefits of CRP, such as wetland restoration, wildlife habitat contributions, and enhanced agricultural resiliency. This year’s investments exceed the initial $10 million commitment due to the high quality of project proposals, with the total CRP monitoring investment reaching over $70 million since 2021.
These initiatives aim to better target CRP efforts toward conservation goals, helping to improve data collection and planning tools for more effective outcomes.
Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Programs
USDA has begun issuing payments to producers for the 2023 crop year, totaling over $447 million through ARC and PLC programs. These programs provide vital financial protection to farmers facing significant drops in crop prices or revenue, acting as key economic safety nets for many American farms.
Authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, ARC and PLC help farmers weather tough market conditions by offering economic support when crop prices fluctuate.
