By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press

As their contracts for land in the Conservation Reserve Program near expiration, farmers have several options, according to Rod Hamilton, Washington head of the Farm Service Agency CRP program.

About 4.5 million acres under CRP contracts are set to expire nationwide this September. Some 4.4 million acres will expire in September 2011.

Under the agency's rules, farmers who plan to seed a fall crop on land coming out of CRP and re-entering production can begin to tend to their land July 1 with no reduction in rental payment.

They can also start working the land on May 1 but lose two months of rental payments.

Hamilton said many farmers have not taken advantage of the options, since most of the moisture in Eastern Washington is gone by that time.

Farmers hoping to seed a crop in spring of 2011 can begin mowing or spraying their land beginning Aug. 1.

Producers who aren't considering fall or spring seeding can begin working their land Oct. 1, when the contract expires, unless they want to participate in the agency's grain program when they put the land back into production.

Hamilton said there are three possibilities for CRP later this year. The agency is conducting supplemental environmental impact statements on changes that were recommended in the farm bill.

If the process is done by late June or early July, a general signup would occur in late summer and new CRP contracts would be in place by Sept. 30.

If the process is not done by that time, the agency may offer three- or five-year extensions to the highest percentage of expiring contracts or a one-year extension to every expiring contract.