1 Includes the 48 contiguous States. Because of rounding, regional acres may not sum to U.S. totals. Source: USDA, ERS, compiled from USDA, NASS, Crop Production, Annual Summary and monthly reports. Among feedgrains, corn increased from the 1960's to the early 1980's, decreased for a few years, and has trended upward again since the late 1980's. Sorghum and barley fluctuated year-to-year until the mid-1980's when they increased to 30-year highs. Both crops have declined since 1986. Oats has trended down over the last 30 years, while acreage of all hay has changed very little. Harvested acreage of cotton hit a low of less than 8 million acres in 1983 and has trended upward since. Tobacco has indicated little trend in acreage harvested. The demand for vegetable oils has led to increased production of some special oilseed crops. Special oilseeds currently reported by NASS include canola, rapeseed, safflower, and mustard seed (USDA, NASS, 1997a). In addition, the Federal commodity programs until 1996 promoted the production of industrial and other crops by allowing these crops to be planted on acreage diversion program lands (see box, "Cropland Programs and Definitions"). The crops allowed in 1995 included castor beans, chia, crambe, crotalaria, cuphea, guar, guayule, hesperaloe, kenaf, lesquerella, meadowfoam, milkweed, plantago ovato, and sesame. Deficiency payments were not reduced when these crops were planted on diverted acreage. Cropland Idled Under Federal Programs The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (the 1996 Farm Act) eliminated the authority of USDA to implement an annual Acreage Reduction Program (ARP) and other annual acreage diversions. As a result, no land was idled under annual commodity programs in 1996. This, combined with the expiration of some CRP contracts, reduced total land idled under Federal programs to about 34 million acres in 1996 (table 1.1.5, table 1.1.9) down from 1995 and well below the 1983 peak of 78 million acres (fig. 1.1.4, table 1.1.14). The extent of idled acres from participation in the CRP varied by farm production region (fig. 1.1.5). In 1995, land idled in annual programs totaled 18 million acres, compared with a range of 13 to 60 million acres idled since 1986. The CRP was initiated in 1986 to help owners and operators of highly erodible cropland conserve and improve the soil and water resources on their farms and ranches through long-term land retirement. CRP pays farmers to retire highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive lands from crop production for 10-15 years and to convert them to perennial vegetation. Since its authorization, 37 million acres of cropland have been enrolled in the CRP. With some producers opting lands out of the CRP in 1995-96 and some terminating prior to early-out, the program in December 1996 stood at just under 33 million acres (for more detail on the CRP, see chapter 6.3). Prior to 1996, producers of corn, rice, sorghum, oats, barley, wheat, and cotton under USDA commodity programs had to idle a proportion of the crop acreage base and place it in the Acreage Reduction Program (ARP) (see box "Cropland Programs and Definitions," p. 12). These proportions (ARP requirements) varied by crop and year from 0 to 35 percent (table 1.1.8). Agricultural Land Use Issues Agricultural uses of land are being affected, and in some cases challenged, by factors other than changing demand for agricultural products and changing agricultural programs. Some continuing or emerging Figure 1.1.4--Cropland acreage reductions by type of program, 1933-95 1Includes Acreage Conservation Reserve, 0,50/85-92 Programs, Paid Land Diversion, and Payment-in-Kind programs in applicable years (see table 1.1.14). Source: USDA, ERS, based on various published and unpublished data from FSA (formerly ASCS). Table 1.1.8-Acreage Reduction Program (ARP) requirements for participation in major program crops, 1985-96 Proportion of crop acreage base to be idled from program crop and placed in a conserving use 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Program crop Figure 1.1.5--Cropland idled under the Conservation Reserve Program, by region, 1996 Cropland Programs and Definitions Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was designed to voluntarily retire from crop production about 40 million acres of highly erodible or environmentally sensitive cropland for 10-15 years. In exchange, participating producers receive annual rental payments up to $50,000 and 50 percent cost-share assistance for establishing vegetative cover on the land. The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act (1996 Farm Act) of 1996 limited CRP enrollment to 36.4 million acres. Acreage Reduction Program (ARP) was a voluntary land retirement program in which farmers reduced their planted acreage of a program crop by a specified proportion of that crop's acreage base to become eligible for deficiency payments, loan programs, and other USDA commodity program benefits. Crops under this program included corn, sorghum, oats, barley, wheat, cotton, and rice. The 1996 Farm Act eliminated the authority of USDA to implement an annual ARP. 0/85-92 Provision, an optional, Federal acreage diversion program, allowed wheat and feedgrain producers to devote all or a portion of their permitted acreage to conservation uses or to a minor oilseed crop, sesame, or crambe and, under some conditions, receive deficiency payments. At least 8 but no more than 15 percent of the producer's maximum payment acres had to be maintained in conserving uses or other allowable crop use. Eliminated by the 1996 Farm Act. 50/85-92 Provision, an optional, Federal acreage diversion program, allowed upland cotton and rice producers to underplant their permitted acreage and, under some conditions, receive deficiency payments on part of the underplanted acreage. At least 50 percent of the crop's maximum payment acreage had to be planted. An additional 8 percent but no more than 15 percent had to be designated for conserving use. Minor oilseeds could not be planted on the 50/92 conservation-use acres but sesame or crambe could be planted, with producers still qualifying for deficiency payments. Eliminated by the 1996 Farm Act. Crop acreage base, for 1995 wheat and feedgrains, was the average of the acreage planted and considered planted to each program crop in the 5-year-period, 1990-94. For upland cotton and rice, the crop acreage base in 1995 was the average acreage planted and considered planted for 1992-94, with no adjustment for years with zero planted or considered planted acreage. The 1996 Farm Act used crop acreage base only in determining eligible production flexibility contract acreage. Deficiency payments were payments made to farmers who participated in feedgrain (corn, sorghum, oats, or barley), wheat, rice, or upland cotton programs up to 1996. The payment rate per unit crop production was based on the difference between a target price and the market price or loan rate, whichever difference was less. The total payment a farm received was the payment rate multiplied by the eligible production. Eliminated by the 1996 Farm Act and replaced by production flexibility contract payments in 1996. Production flexibility contract payments are authorized under provisions of the 1996 Farm Act as a replacement for deficiency payments, and cover the 1996 through 2002 crops of wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, and rice of landowners or producers with eligible cropland. In exchange for a series of annual contract payments for the 7-year period based on a predetermined total dollar amount for each year, the owner or producer agrees to comply with specified conservation requirements concerning the use of highly erodible cropland and wetlands; to comply with planting flexibility requirements of the Act; and to use contract acreage for agricultural or related activities, not for nonagricultural commercial or industrial use. Production flexibility contract acreage is equal to a farm's crop acreage base for 1996 calculated under the provisions of the previous farm program, plus any returning CRP base acreage and less any new CRP acreage enrollment. A landowner or producer can enroll less than the maximum eligible acreage. In 1996, contracted acreage totaled just over 207.5 million acres, 98.8 percent of the eligible 210.2 million acres (USDA, FSA, 1996). Table 1.1.9-Cropland idled under Federal acreage reduction programs, 1986-96 1 Because of rounding, crop acreages may not sum to totals. Base acreages idled under 0/92 and 50/92 programs from 1986 through 1992 are included in annual program data. However, base acres of feed grains and wheat enrolled in 0/92 and planted to oilseeds or other permitted crops in 1991 (0.5 million acres), in 1992 (0.7 million acres), in 1993 (1.0 million acres), in 1994 (1.6 million acres), and in 1995 (1.5 million acres) are not included. 2 CRP began in 1986. Small acreages of peanut and tobacco base were bid into CRP in addition to the crops listed. Numbers are gross before subtracting CRP terminations which, by the end of 1996, totaled approximately 1.5 million acres. Less than 50,000 acres. Source: USDA, ERS, based on various published and unpublished data from FSA (formerly ASCS). (table 1.1.11). Even so, losing farmland to urban uses Land use change is dynamic. With the exception of urban land, changes occur to and from major land uses (table 1.1.11). For example, 26.4 million acres. (of prime and nonprime land) left cropland and pasture from 1982 to 1992 but 16.3 million acres came into the category, resulting in a net loss of 10.1 million acres. Forestland lost 14.2 million acres, but gained 15.2 million acres for a net gain of 1 million acres. Prime agricultural land has the growing season, Concerns about preserving agricultural lands and open |