New Program Structure: Agricultural Voluntary Incentive Program (AgVIP)
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Published
5/1/2025
Fertilizer and manure application to crops in the State of Utah help maximize yields and improve soil health. However, the over application of nutrients can be expensive and have adverse impacts on the environment, including water quality.
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF), in cooperation with the Division of Water Quality (DWQ), has begun the Voluntary Agricultural Incentive Program to help farming operations develop Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs) that will help producers maximize crop yields while staying in compliance with state water quality regulations.
Participants in the Voluntary Agricultural Incentive Program will be able to sit down with Nutrient Management Planners from UDAF to discuss their agricultural operation; then utilizing soil tests, manure tests and crop nutrient uptake the planner can develop a CNMP that will identify best management practices for each operation.
As an incentive to participate in this program, UDAF has agreed to pay each producer a one-time $1,000 payment to work with a conservation planner to develop a CNMP. Once the plan is completed, the $1,000 payment will be made to the producer. This $1,000 can be used to cover the cost of soil and manure test that the cooperator will collect to develop the CNMP. After the CNMP has been implemented for a one-year period, UDAF will then pay the producer $12/acre for each acre covered under their CNMP. At the end of each year the producer will sit down with their Nutrient Management Planner and review their soil tests, manure tests, and application records. If the planner determines that the plan was followed correctly the annual payment will be submitted to UDAF and a check will be issued to the producer.
This is a voluntary, incentive-based program. A producer’s inability to correctly follow the CNMP developed for them will not result in regulatory actions. However, if they do not follow the CNMP developed for them they will not be eligible to receive the $12/acre incentive payment for that year. All records will be kept at USDA Service Centers, or UDAF offices in locked filing cabinets.
Applications for AgVIP are expected to open in June. Please check back for updates or contact Katie Ottmann (katieottmann@utah.gov) for more information on when the application period will reopen.
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