(NAFB.com) – USDA will issue more than $2.14 billion in payments to eligible agricultural producers and landowners, providing much-needed support through conservation and farm safety-net programs. Producers should soon receive payments from the Farm Service Agency for their participation in these programs aimed at conserving natural resources and keeping family farms economically viable. Program participants are expected to receive more than $1.7 billion through the Conservation Reserve Program and CRP Transition Incentive Program. The agency will also send out more than $447 million through the ARC and PLC programs. Additionally, FSA will invest another $21 million for projects to better measure the effectiveness of CRP. “Conservation and safety net program payments are significant investments in preserving and protecting our valuable and vulnerable natural resources and they provide protection for producers impacted by market volatilities,” says FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “These programs support voluntary land stewardship and producers with risk protection and stability.”