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USDA allows CRP emergency haying, grazing in all S.D. counties
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By The Associated Press
| 07/27/2012 |
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The Farm Service Agency has authorized emergency haying and grazing use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for all South Dakota counties.
Craig Schaunaman, FSA state executive director, released the announcement Thursday, saying the decision was made in response to statewide drought conditions.
Under CRP emergency haying and grazing provisions, haying activity may not go beyond Aug. 31 and grazing activity may not exceed Sept. 30. In addition, 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.
"South Dakota producers interested in emergency haying and grazing of CRP must contact their local FSA offices to obtain approval to hay or graze CRP," Schaunaman said in a press release.
Any approved emergency haying and grazing of CRP cannot begin until Aug. 2, which is after the end of the primary nesting and brood-rearing season for pheasants in South 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.
Currently, about 532,000 acres of CRP are available for emergency haying and grazing in South Dakota. There are an additional 19,000 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 and therefore are not eligible for emergency haying and grazing.
On July 11, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the 25 percent CRP payment reduction was decreased to 10 percent for all 2012 emergency haying and grazing authorizations. The change was made to provide greater flexibility to farmers and ranchers in response to 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. Instead, it must remain unhayed and ungrazed for wildlife habitat purposes.
In an effort to better serve South Dakota farmers and ranchers, officials with the South Dakota FSA and South Dakota Department of Agriculture are encouraging producers to utilize the online hay-finder services available via www.hayexchange.com and www.haybarn.com.
For more information and to request approval for emergency haying and grazing of CRP acres, property owners should contact their local FSA office.
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