Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture opened the sign up period for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) with the deadline to apply for general CRP set for February 28, 2020 while signups for continuous CRP will remain ongoing. Farmers and ranchers who enroll in CRP receive a yearly rental payment for voluntarily establishing resource-conserving plant species to control soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat on marginally productive agricultural lands.
The program has 22 million acres enrolled, but with the 2018 Farm Bill increasing the cap to 27 million acres, some farmers and ranchers will be able to enroll in CRP for the first time. 2020 will mark the 35th year of the program, which has prevented more than 9 billion tons of soil from being eroded and sequestered an annual average of 49 million tons of greenhouse gases. Farmers and ranchers who interested in enrolling in CRP are encouraged to contact their local FSA county office.
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