USDA Accepts 2.2 Million Acres for Conservation Reserve Program Enrollment

USDA announced that it is accepting 2.2 million acres into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for 2026. Through CRP, USDA’s Farm Service Agency offers agricultural producers and landowners incentive payments for their conservation efforts while benefiting their agricultural operations and protecting the nation’s natural resources. Producers and landowners submitted offers on nearly 2.5 million acres through the General, Grassland and Continuous CRP signups. Because the program’s total acreage is capped at 27 million acres for fiscal year 2026, only 2.2 million acres were available for enrollment, making for a highly competitive process for those who submitted offers for CRP. By enrolling in CRP, producers and landowners receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative covers.