USDA on Thursday said demand is strong for the Conservation Reserve Program, adding this will be one of the most competitive general sign-up periods in history. That is in part due to a statutory limit on the number of acres that can be enrolled in the program, according to USDA. The sign-up deadline is February 26th. Submissions will be ranked according to environmental benefits in comparison to all other offers nationwide. USDA will announce accepted offers after the enrollment period ends and offers are reviewed. As of January, 23.6 million acres were enrolled in CRP, with contracts for more than 1.6 million acres set to expire this fall. The statutory cap on acres that can be enrolled is 24 million acres.