During fiscal 1996, congress restricted the Agriculture Department from adding any new land into the program in a cost cutting manuever. But with the signing of the Farm Bill on April 4 of this year, a provision was added by agriculture committee members, which allowed conservation signups to continue and payments mandatory.

Now the Coalition for a Competitive Food and Agricultural System have been lobbying to limit the sign-ups again. The grain traders and other agribusinesses which make up the CCFAS want Congress to bar the Agriculture Department from spending any money to administer sign-ups in fiscal 1997.

The coalition believes that 1 to 2 million acres could be taken out of the conservation program in fiscal 1997, and 12 million more the following year. They believe the land could be put back into production , possibly to increase the nation's low grain stocks, with little or no environmental damage.