MEDIA AVAILABILITY ON 16TH SIGN-UP FOR CRP                       
                                               Release No.0354.97
Remarks
                                                                 
                               OF
                     SECRETARY DAN GLICKMAN
           MEDIA AVAILABILITY ON 16TH SIGN-UP FOR CRP
                    USDA -- OCTOBER 14, 1997

     Good morning. As you know, today is the first day of the 16th sign-up of
the Conservation Reserve Program. We had some rough spots in the last sign-up.
We've been smoothing them out ever since. Working closely with farmers, it is
my hope that this will be  sweet 16.'

     Last year's Farm Bill came to us late, so our people really had to hit
the ground running -- first with market transition payments, then the new CRP.
Given the hand they were dealt, our folks at the Farm Service Agency, the
Natural Resource Conservation Service, and all our partners did an outstanding
job. But as soon as our people were done, they put their work under the
microscope and asked: How can we do better? 

     We also heard that some farmers felt that they were not adequately
informed of the importance of improving their cover crop to the success of
their bid. We responded by spending the time between sign-ups 15 and 16
providing additional training to our NRCS and FSA folks, and holding town-hall
meetings so farmers better understand how to put together the strongest bid
possible -- and field staff are more capable of helping them -- along with the
many commodity and conservation groups that are helping us get the word out.

     In areas where rental rates are high, we also know that proportionately
less acreage was selected in Sign-up 15, even though the environmental
benefits of those bids were high. So, we improved the equity of the cost
factor by giving bonus points to producers who bid below the maximum rental
rates in their areas. 

     Now, we're open for business. I urge folks to come on in to their county
office early. USDA field staff are ready to help farmers put together the
strongest bid possible. As you know, this is a highly competitive process.
Producers can strengthen their hand if they improve their crop cover, reduce
their rental rate, and bid only their most sensitive land. If farmers come in
early, we can work these things through together.

     We had about 5 million contract acres expire last month. Another 4.8
million are set to expire next September. Farmers should start deciding now
what they're going to do with that land. For  folks who aren't going to re-bid
their acreage, I encourage them to give serious thought to preserving their
most significant conservation gains through our continuous sign-up. 

     This approach lets farmers crop most of their acres and get guaranteed
enrollment for their buffer strips, grassed waterways, and other land with
high-priority practices. Rangelands are equally welcome. We'll take these
acres at any time, and we're willing to pay a little more for many of these
practices.

      

     Conservation buffers are agriculture's #1 tool for protecting America's
streams and waterways. We should all do our part to keep them clean and reach
the Administration's goal of 2 million miles of buffers by 2002.

     The new CRP is a good deal all around. Taxpayers get the biggest bang
for their environmental buck, farmers get real help in their conservation
efforts, and the most productive acres are kept farming. In these ways, the
new CRP -- our nation's largest conservation effort -- is agriculture's
attempt to strike a sustainable balance between reaping America's abundance
and respecting the needs of generations to come. 

Thank you, and I'd be glad to take your questions.

                                 
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