More State CRP Acres Approved for Grazing, Haying
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 08/10/2012
The Wisconsin Farm Service Agency has authorized additional practices to qualify for the emergency grazing and haying designations for counties designated as abnormally dry or worse by the U.S. Drought Monitor. The original announcement opened 214,000 CRP acres for emergency grazing and haying. FSA says these additional eligible practices will add another 26,000 acres that are now eligible.
According to State FSA Director Brad Pfaff, the additional practices include Grass Waterways, Noneasement Wetland Restoration, and Rare and Declining Habitat.
"Eligible producers who are interested in emergency haying or grazing of CRP must request approval from the FSA County Office before haying or grazing eligible acreage," Pfaff said. "Producers must obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service that includes haying and
grazing requirements."
The emergency haying authorization for eligible Wisconsin counties became effective August 2 and ends August 31. The emergency grazing authorization ends September 30. Producers must request and receive approval from FSA before haying or grazing CRP.
To determine if a county falls under the eligible D0 or higher drought designation, producers can visit the U.S. Drought Monitor site at http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu or contact your local USDA Service Center.
Last month, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom 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 during difficult times.
