Kansas to receive nearly $124,000 in CRP payments

Kansas Farm Service Agency began issuing payments for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to eligible producers in Kansas.

More than $1.7 billion in CRP payments are being made on 34.7 million acres across the country. Kansas FSA will issue nearly $124,000 in payments.

The payments are annual rental payments earned on 3,124,702 acres enrolled in CRP for fiscal year 2008 in Kansas, including acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program and Continuous Sign-Up Program.

Currently Kansas has 49,874 CRP contracts on 28,431 farms. The number of contracts is higher than the number of farms because producers may have multiple contracts on a single farm.

Other CRP payments are made throughout the year, including a 50 percent reimbursement of expenses for establishing cover and incentive payments for enrolling eligible conservation practices, such as wetland restorations and conservation buffers.

This voluntary program helps agricultural producers safeguard environmentally sensitive land. Producers enroll in CRP and plant long-term, resource-conserving covers to improve water quality, control soil erosion, and enhance habitats for waterfowl and wildlife. In return, USDA provides producers with rental payments. CRP contract duration is from 10 to 15 years.

Land to be enrolled must be either highly erodible, contribute to a serious water quality problem, provide important wildlife habitat or provide substantial environmental benefits if devoted to certain specific conservation uses.

For more information, contact the Marion County USDA Service Center at (620) 382-3714.