The U.S. Department of Agriculture says more than 98 percent of producers have met the 2014 Farm Bill requirement to certify conservation compliance in order to qualify for crop insurance premium support payments. South Dakota Corn Growers President, Keith Alverson of Chester says he’s not surprised by those numbers and expected most farmers to be certified.

Of the two percent of producers who have not certified their conservation compliance, Alverson agrees with the USDA that it’s likely the majority are either no longer farming or may have filed forms with discrepancies that can still be reconciled.

USDA officials say implementing the 2014 Farm Bill provisions for conservation compliance is expected to extend conservation programs for an additional 1.5 million acres of highly erodible lands and 1.1. million acres of wetlands.