WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project, “Sustaining the Future of Rice” takes another step forward in the implementation process.
Earlier this year USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) awarded the project $10 million in funding for the six major rice producing states. Under the project rice farmers will have two years to enroll in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). NRCS offices in Missouri are now accepting EQIP applications from rice farmers and Louisiana NRCS will follow suit in coming weeks. Applications in Missouri and Louisiana will be accepted through November 20, 2015.
Blake Gerard, Missouri rice farmer and chairman of the USA Rice Farmers, said, “I’m really excited at the pace this project is moving, everything seems to be happening right on target with the overall schedule established.” Gerard added that “installing conservation practices on our crop ground is just the right thing to do and so I urge fellow growers to take a look at their conservation plans over the next few weeks and try to find some additional practices they can add under this RCPP project.”
Rice farmers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri are encouraged to submit EQIP applications as part of the “Sustaining the Future of Rice” RCPP project at their local NRCS offices. Sign-up for CSP is projected to begin in each of the six rice states late in 2016.
To learn more about the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited RCPP project, visit
here.