Full story link: http://www.usda.gov/2005/05/0176.xml Release No. 0176.05 Ed Loyd (202) 720-4623 Mary Cressel (202) 690-0547 USDA APPROVED $18.3 MILLION FOR LIMITED RESOURCE FARMERS FY 2004 Funds Provided Through Environmental Quality Incentives Program LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 23, 2005-Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced that 1,156 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contracts covering nearly 436,000 acres of farm and ranch land were approved for limited resource farmers and ranchers in fiscal year 2004 for a total of $18.3 million. "Farmers and ranchers are the best stewards of the land and the Bush Administration is committed to helping limited resource producers implement sound conservation practices as part of their agricultural operations," said Johanns. "I encourage all eligible producers to participate in the programs USDA offers to assist in building strong farming operations, especially minorities and women." Johanns made the announcement while participating in a roundtable discussion with minority farmers in Little Rock, Ark., where he traveled to meet with producers and hear their concerns. EQIP is a voluntary conservation program, administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, that offers financial and technical assistance to producers who face threats to soil, water, air and related natural resources on their land. EQIP funds may be used to reduce soil erosion, improve water and air quality, and protect grazing land. In fiscal year 2004, nearly one out of every two limited resource producers applying for EQIP were funded compared with only one out of every four for the rest of the program's applications. Limited resource farmers and ranchers received 2.55 percent of the total EQIP funds in fiscal year 2004. This is an increase over 2003 when less than one percent of total EQIP funding went to limited resource farmers. Following is a state-by-state list of the number of EQIP contracts approved, cost-share funding and farm and ranch land acres under EQIP contracts in fiscal year 2004 for limited resource farmers and ranchers. States Contracts Approved Cost Share Approved Farmland in Contracts U.S. TOTAL 1,156 $18,313,110 435,799 Alabama 16 $169,116 1,552 Alaska 1 $256,248 600 Arizona 25 $902,232 189,479 Arkansas 15 $200,981 1,471 California 19 $552,242 3,877 Colorado 35 $519,556 2,278 Connecticut 2 $99,183 189 Delaware 0 Florida 4 $82,923 1,103 Georgia 13 $248,634 1,637 Hawaii 7 $369,539 1,376 Idaho 8 $302,663 4,235 Illinois 16 $287,715 1,782 Indiana 4 $184,272 390 Iowa 8 $109,821 930 Kansas 10 $48,538 2,757 Kentucky 37 $439,460 3,819 Louisiana 22 $151,594 1,766 Maine 25 $556,079 3,247 Maryland 1 $7,858 116 Massachusetts 0 Michigan 3 $43,366 174 Minnesota 24 $379,888 3,967 Mississippi 171 $946,720 17,009 Missouri 46 $1,182,123 9,729 Montana 18 $357,774 4,122 Nebraska 13 $171,733 4,248 Nevada 4 $382,950 4,120 New Hampshire 7 $149,030 839 New Jersey 2 $81,825 147 New Mexico 52 $1,136,385 68,256 New York 10 $409,066 1,640 North Carolina 57 $391,131 5,196 North Dakota 47 $623,806 29,007 Ohio 5 $46,770 484 Oklahoma 40 $452,394 5,561 Oregon 6 $128,018 3,667 Pennsylvania 33 $830,064 4,001 Rhode Island 1 $80,334 246 South Carolina 8 $45,845 567 South Dakota 7 $198,843 1,579 Tennessee 11 $187,460 1,940 Texas 46 $323,014 13,143 Utah 4 $102,557 61 Vermont 6 $492,630 665 Virginia 9 $170,159 1,056 Washington 13 $474,566 2,040 West Virginia 32 $507,785 4,960 Wisconsin 10 $101,544 1,066 Wyoming 7 $116,639 9,171 Pacific Basin 0 Puerto Rico 196 $2,310,037 14,537 Additional information on EQIP can be found at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip and on assistance from NRCS for small, limited resource and beginning farmers and ranchers at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/SLB_farmer. # USDA News oc.news@xxxxxxxx 202 720-4623 ---------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to oc.news@xxxxxxxx and reference your email address.
