USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director Aaron Krauter, today announced that in response to drought conditions, FSA has authorized emergency haying and grazing use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for all North Dakota counties.
"North Dakota producers interested in emergency haying and grazing of CRP must contact their local FSA offices to obtain approval to hay or graze CRP," said Krauter. Any approved emergency haying and grazing of CRP cannot begin until August 2, 2012, which is after the end of the primary nesting and brood rearing season in North Dakota. "Producers will also need to obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that includes haying and grazing requirements," he said.
Under CRP emergency haying and grazing provisions, haying activity may not occur after August 31, 2012, and grazing activity may not occur after September 30, 2012. The acreage eligible for emergency haying and grazing is limited to those conservation practices eligible under the emergency release of CRP for haying and grazing purposes. Currently there are approximately 1.6 million acres of CRP available for emergency haying and grazing in North Dakota. There are an additional 10,200 acres of Conservation Practice 25, Rare and Declining Habitat available for emergency grazing purposes only. Wetland and farmable wetland conservation practices are considered to be environmentally sensitive; therefore, are not eligible for emergency haying and grazing.
On July 11, 2012, Secretary Vilsack announced that the 25 percent CRP payment reduction will be reduced to 10 percent for all 2012 emergency haying and grazing authorizations in order to provide greater flexibility to farmers and ranchers in response to the drought conditions.
Under emergency haying and grazing provisions, producers are reminded that the same CRP acreage cannot be both hayed and/or grazed at the same time. For example, if 50 percent of a field or contiguous field is hayed, the remaining unhayed 50 percent cannot be grazed; it must remain unhayed and ungrazed for wildlife habitat purposes.
In an effort to proactively serve North Dakota farmers and ranchers, the North Dakota Farm Service Agency and the North Dakota Department of Agriculture are encouraging producers to utilize the on-line hay finder services available via http://www.hayexchange.com and http://www.haybarn.com.
For more information and to request approval for emergency haying and grazing of CRP acres contact your local FSA office.
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