USDA Secretary Ed Schafer says USDA won't allow “early out” for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts without penalty. Schafer says market conditions have improved and that acreage was exiting CRP through normal maturities.

According to USDA, 1.15 million acres of CRP will mature as of Sept. 30, 2008, and 3.855 million acres will mature on Sept. 30, 2009.