AN EVALUATION OF POST CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM ALTERNATIVES IN THE TEXAS HIGH PLAINS

Four policy alternatives for CRP lands upon expiration of the current contracts in Hale county, Texas are evaluated using chance-constrained programming. It was found that if CRP contracts are extended at the current average rental rate, 40 percent of the current enrollment would be expected to return to crop production, while 66 percent would return to crop production if the program were eliminated. The results also indicate that the marginal value of CRP payments to producers is lower than the marginal value of deficiency payments.