The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Explained
August 9, 2026
Unlike the Conservation Reserve Program, which pays farmers to remove land from production, EQIP pays farmers to implement conservation practices while continuing to farm. This makes it the primary conservation program for active agricultural land and one of the most popular programs in USDA's portfolio.
What EQIP funds
EQIP contracts cover a wide range of conservation practices, including:
- Nutrient management plans — reducing nitrogen and phosphorus runoff
- Cover cropping — planting off-season cover to protect soil and build organic matter
- Irrigation efficiency — converting flood irrigation to drip or center-pivot systems
- Livestock waste management — lagoon covers, composting, and manure handling
- Fencing and watering facilities — keeping livestock out of streams and riparian areas
- High tunnel construction — season-extending structures for specialty crop producers
How contracts work
Farmers apply for EQIP contracts with their local NRCS office. Applications are ranked and funded based on priority — practices that address locally identified resource concerns receive higher scores. Contracts typically run 1–10 years depending on the practice, and payments are made when practices are implemented and verified.
Growing budget
EQIP's funding has grown substantially in recent farm bills, reflecting bipartisan support for conservation on working lands. Recent additional funding through the Inflation Reduction Act specifically targeted "climate-smart" practices — cover crops, reduced tillage, and enhanced efficiency irrigation. This has made EQIP one of the largest single programs in USDA's financial assistance portfolio by recent-year spending.
Finding EQIP payments
EQIP appears under CFDA 10.912 in SubsidyLookup. Browse the program index or look at individual state pages to see how EQIP compares to commodity programs in your area.