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  Release No. 0176.05
Contact:
Ed Loyd (202) 720-4623
Mary Cressel (202) 690-0547

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  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.

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.