CRP acres released by the USDA for emergency haying or grazing

Saturday, August 23, 2008

The USDA has recently approved certain acreage enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program to be eligible for haying and grazing through Sept 30. Before haying or grazing such land, CRP participants must get approval from the local FSA Office and a revised CRP Plan from NRCS. This emergency release is not affected by prior years managed haying and grazing that limit haying to every three years so even if CRP land was hayed last year it may be eligible under these emergency provisions.

This release should not to be confused with the recent 'critical use haying and grazing provisions' announced in late June and later stopped by a judge on behalf of the National Wildlife Federation. This last Emergency release to hay and graze will cost you 25% of your annual CRP payment and only certain CRP practices are eligible to hay or graze. You must contact the FSA office first to determine eligibility.

September 30 is the final date to request haying or grazing and all livestock and hay bales must also be removed by Sept. 30, so the time period is short but there is some quality hay still available.

Harvesters must leave at least 50 percent of each eligible field or contiguous eligible field un-hayed. You cannot hay and graze the same field. If there is an ineligible practice in a field then 50 percent of the balance of the field may qualify. If grazing, 25 percent of each field must remain un-grazed or all of the eligible CRP acreage may be grazed if no more than 75 percent of the normal stocking rate, as determined by NRCS, is used.