USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Caribbean Area Director Luis Cruz-Arroyo informs the public of the first sign-up period for fiscal year 2021 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding to address farmers’ natural resource concerns.
EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that provides financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to help install and implement conservation practices on eligible agricultural land.
Through EQIP, NRCS helps farmers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to improve agricultural production and environmental quality.
EQIP applications are accepted year-round; however, NRCS sets application “cut-off” or submission deadlines to evaluate, rank and approve eligible applications. The following are the cut-off dates for fiscal year 2021:
EQIP Period 1 cut-off date: October 30, 2020
EQIP FY 2021 Evaluation and Ranking deadline: February 26, 2021
EQIP FY 2021 Obligation deadline: June 11, 2021
For information on NRCS programs and services in the Caribbean area, visit www.pr.nrcs.usda.gov or contact the local USDA-NRCS office.
