U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says USDA is accepting 3.9-million acres offered under the 43rd Conservation Reserve Program general sign-up. Since 2009 – USDA has enrolled nearly 12-million acres in the program – with more than 29.6-million acres currently enrolled on more than 736-thousand contracts. Vilsack says lands in CRP have helped to support strong incomes for farmers and ranchers and produce good middle-class jobs throughout the country for more than 25 years. He says it’s no surprise producers recognize the importance of protecting the nation’s most environmentally sensitive land by enrolling in CRP.
According to USDA – this latest enrollment will allow the department to continue targeting of CRP acres through continuous sign-up initiatives while maintaining and enhancing the significant benefits the program has already achieved. The two continuous sign-ups announced earlier this year – for highly-erodible land as well as grasslands and wetlands – will target an additional 1.75-million acres in total.
Source: NAFB News Service