Lexington, KY, August 29, 2012 -- As the Obama Administration continues to support farmers and businesses impacted by the drought, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a two-month extension for emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres, freeing up forage and feed for ranchers as they look to recover from this challenging time. This flexibility for ranchers marks the latest action by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide assistance to producers impacted by the drought, which has included opening CRP and other conservation acres to emergency haying and grazing, lowering the interest rate for emergency loans, and working with crop insurance companies to provide flexibility to farmers.

 

To assist producers, USDA is permitting farmers and ranchers in drought stricken states that have been approved for emergency grazing to extend grazing on CRP land through Nov. 30, 2012, without incurring an additional CRP rental payment reduction. The period normally allowed for emergency grazing lasts through Sept. 30. The extension applies to general CRP practices (details below) and producers must submit a request to their Farm Service Agency county office indicating the acreage to be grazed. USDA's continuing efforts to add feed to the marketplace benefits all livestock producers, including dairy, during this drought. Expanded haying and grazing on CRP acres, along with usage of cover crops as outlined last week by the Secretary, has begun providing much needed feed to benefit all livestock, including dairy.

Kentucky approved counties are: Adair, Allen, Ballard, Barren, Bath, Boyle, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Casey, Christian, Clark, Crittenden, Daviess, Edmonson, Estill, Fayette, Fleming, Fulton, Graves, Grayson, Green, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Hart, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Hopkins, Jackson, Larue, Lewis, Lincoln, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, McCracken, McLean, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Meade, Mercer, Metcalfe, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Ohio, Oldham, Russell, Shelby, Simpson, Taylor, Todd, Trigg, Trimble, Union, Warren, Washington, Wayne, and Webster.

The extension of emergency grazing on CRP acres does not apply to these practices: CP8A – Grass Waterway-Non-easement; CP23 – Wetland Restoration; CP23A – Wetland Restoration-Non-Floodplain; CP27 – Farmable Wetlands Pilot Wetland; CP28 – Farmable Wetlands Pilot Buffer; CP37 – Duck Nesting Habitat; and CP41 – FWP Flooded Prairie Wetlands.

Farmers and Ranchers should contact their local FSA county office for additional information.

Source: Press release courtesy of USDA