USDA has announced it will allow producers to re-enroll up to 1.5 million of the 3.9 million acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) set to exit the program this September. The limited number of acres eligible for re-enrollment is for USDA to be able to meet the 2008 farm bill’s cap of 32 million acres for CRP.

USDA said, “CRP contracts with the highest environmental benefit or with the highest potential for soil erosion will be selected.” The signup period for producers to apply for extensions begins May 18 and runs through June 30.