USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) was allotted $19.5 billion in new conservation funding when the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed by President Joe Biden on Tuesday.
The NRCS says the funds will be used to prioritize “broader efforts” that address fertilizer availability and cost issues for American producers brought on by COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“USDA is responding to the needs of U.S. producers and consumers by adding program flexibilities, expanding options and assistance, and investing in nutrient management strategies to help farmers address local resource concerns and global food security while also improving their bottom line,” says Tom Vilsack, USDA secretary.
According to the press release, USDA will address these challenges through:
1. Initiative Groundwork
Conservation is threaded into the IRA to deliver $20 billion in assistance to four oversubscribed conservation programs:
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) - $8.45 billion
• Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) - $4.95 billion
• Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) - $3.25 billion
• Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) - $1.4 billion
The USDA press release says an expedited application process, including targeted outreach to historically underserved producers, will be used to rank and meet on-farm needs.
2. Economic Benefits
USDA estimates 89 million acres of cropland exceed the nitrogen loss threshold. To mitigate these losses, NRCS staff will be tasked with developing nutrient management plans. Producers will then use these plans to “adequately supply soils and plants with necessary nutrients” and minimize nutrient transport, according to the press release.
With new nutrient management plans in place, the agency forecasts a $30 per acre savings for producers, with a net savings of $2.6 billion.
3. Tech Service Providers
Training, outreach and education in new and existing programs, and incentive payments, require manpower. NCRS says IRA funds will be funneled to Technical Service Providers (TSP) to assist producers in the program application and implementation processes.
This TSP funding might sound familiar, as the USDA tapped Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds earlier this year to cover program costs associated with TSP.
To read NRCS’s nutrient management planning information, visit their site.
More on ag policy:
$740 Billion Inflation Reduction Act Passed the House and Senate
$80 Billion in IRS Funding Will Not be Used to Audit Middle Class Americans
IRA 2022 - What It Means For Farmers
