Harkin Introduces Conservation payment program

July 26,1999

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) has introduced a bill to establish a "universal and voluntary" incentive payment program designed to encourage conservation activities by farmers. He says it will form "a key part of an improved system of farm income protection."

The bill would provide incentive payments to farmers to encourage more farm conservation practices. Farmers would enter into three to five year contracts with USDA and choose from one of three classes of conservation practices and receive a payment based on the number of acres covered and the country rental rate for those acres.

For implementing a basic set of practices, farmers would receive an annual payment equal to 10% of the rental rate of the land covered. This Class I category would include practices such as nutrient management, conservation tillage and runoff and drainage control.

To receive a 20% payment rate, farmers would add a minimum number of Class II practices from a menu established by USDA to the Class I practices. The Class II practices could include comprehensive nutrient management, composting, intensive grazing, partial field practices like buffer strips and windbreaks, wetland restoration and wildlife habitat enhancement.

Farmer who adopt comprehensive Class III conservation practices on their whole farm, under a total resource management plan that addressed all aspects of air, land, water and wildlife, would receive a 40% payment.

Livestock producers also would get an incentive. Producers with fewer than 1,000 animal units would be given a per-animal incentive payment equal to 10% of the five-year average market price for preparing and adopting comprehensive manure management plans. One thousand animal units would equal 2,500 hogs, 1,000 beef cattle, 700 dairy cattle, 55,000 turkeys or 100,000 chickens.

Co-sponsoring Harkin's bill are Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Sens.. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Bob Kerrey(D-NE) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT).