Arkansas farmers and landowners have until Nov. 4 to sign up for financial assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for the 2023 year, says Dr. Henry English, head of the Small Farm Program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Offered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), EQIP provides financial incentives to producers to improve their land by adding sustainable conservation practices.
Farmers, ranchers and others interested in installing land-improving conservation practices on their operations should submit an EQIP application to their local NRCS office by the Nov. 4 deadline. The financial assistance producers may receive can range from 60 to 90 percent of the average cost of the practices. Payments are made after conservation practices and activities identified in an EQIP plan are implemented.
Individuals can sign up for crop conservation practices such as precision land leveling (practice #464), irrigation pipelines (430), micro irrigation – drip tape (441), plastic mulching (484), wells – motors, pumping plants (533), irrigation wells – casing (642), cover crops (340), residue and tillage management (329) and seasonal high tunnels (325).
Pasture conservation practices include prescribed grazing (528), interior fence for rotational grazing (382), watering facilities – water tank or trough (614), herbaceous weed control (315) and heavy use areas such as cattle feeding areas (561).
Forestry conservation practices include firebreaks (394), forest stand improvement (666), tree/shrub site preparation (490), tree/shrub establishment (612), and tree/shrub pruning (660).
For assistance in selecting conservation practices to apply for or for help in filling out the EQIP application, individuals can contact the Small Farm Program at (870) 575-7225 or leek@uapb.edu.
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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