To encourage N runoff reductions by farmers, the government set up a cap to current loads and a buy-back 20% of the quotas. Farmers received allocations and were encouraged to reduce their nitrogen emissions to gain from selling water discharge allowances. Reducing soil erosion brings longterm soil-productivity gains and additional benefits, mainly improving water quality by reducing agricultural nonpoint pollution in drinking water (including fertiliser runoff, leaching, and nutrient contamination). Other conservation programmes that were initiated alongside the CRP included Swampbuster, Sodbuster, and Conservation Compliance.