Some 98.2 percent of farmers met the June 1 deadline to show they practice soil and water conservation on their land. By filing the document, form AD-1026, producers are eligible for premium subsidies on crop insurance. Congress decided as part of the 2014 farm law to require so-called conservation compliance for access to the federally subsidized insurance.
The requirement “is expected to extend conservation provisions for an additional 1.5 million acres of highly erodible lands and 1.1 million acres of wetlands, which will reduce soil erosion, enhance water quality, and create wildlife habitat,” said the USDA.
Most of the producers who did not file the documents are no longer farming or submitted forms that included discrepancies, said the USDA. It said it will try to contact farmers and help correct errors before the closing date for crop insurance purchases. Producers who began farming after June 1 or who did not participate in USDA programs before June 1 “can file an exemption to the conservation compliance certification for reinsurance year 2016 and still be eligible for the crop insurance premium support,” the department said.