The temporary farm bill extension has expired, and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has stopped operating until Congress passes new legislation, Farm Progress reports.

The lapse removes the legal authority USDA needs to run one of its largest conservation programs. CRP pays farmers and landowners annual rent to take erosion-prone and environmentally sensitive cropland out of production under contracts that typically run 10 to 15 years.

What does the expiration change for growers?

With the extension lapsed, USDA cannot enroll new acres or hold general CRP signups. Farmers who planned to bid land into the program face an open-ended wait that depends entirely on congressional action.

The program matters to farm income in many regions. CRP rental payments flow to producers across the Plains and Midwest in particular, and enrollment decisions also affect local land markets and input demand — idle CRP ground buys no seed, fertilizer or crop protection products.

How did we get here?

Congress failed to pass a full five-year farm bill on schedule, forcing lawmakers to resort to a short-term extension. That stopgap has now run out without a successor in place, leaving major farm, conservation and nutrition programs operating without current legal authority.

The situation puts USDA in a holding pattern. The department can administer existing contracts but cannot move forward with new enrollment activity that requires current authorization.

What happens next?

The halt lasts until Congress acts — either by passing a new farm bill or approving another extension. Producers, landowners and conservation groups will be watching for movement on Capitol Hill, since every month of delay pushes signup decisions and rental payments further out.

For now, growers weighing whether to idle marginal acres or keep them in production must plan without knowing when CRP's door will reopen.