MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas Corn leaders are encouraging farmers to apply for new cost share assistance and incentive payments now available to assist growers with irrigation efficiency technology. The program is administered through the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Conservation.
Kansas Corn CEO Josh Roe said the Kansas Corn Growers Association and other ag groups worked to secure this funding through the Kansas Water Plan in the 2023 legislative session.
“This is a meaningful investment making about $550,000 available to help growers adopt irrigation technology. It’s great to see this funding come to fruition to help our growers implement irrigation technology that can have a real impact for water conservation.,” Roe said. “Our growers continually strive to improve their practices to grow more with less, and this program will help us reach that goal.”
The program is administered by Conservation Districts across the state.
According to the Kansas Department of Agriculture, this initiative is designed to promote irrigation efficiency by providing cost share assistance to landowners for automated mobile drip irrigation systems, autonomous pivot systems, water meter monitoring software subscriptions, bubbler nozzle packages, and remote monitoring systems (soil moisture probes included as part of system).
Eligible projects must be located within Kansas Groundwater Management Districts 1 through 5. Applications are currently being accepted, and projects will be considered for approval until all funds have been allocated. Equipment purchases and subscriptions made before application approval by KDA–DOC are not eligible for this initiative.
Applications for this irrigation technology cost share funding must be made through local Conservation Districts. For application assistance and details about funding eligibility, along with more information concerning other available services, please contact your local Conservation District office. Conservation District offices can be found at agriculture.ks.gov/
— Kansas Corn