The Nebraska Farm Service Agency today announced that six counties are authorized for emergency grazing use of Conservation Reserve Program acres for 2012, according to FSA State Executive Director Dan Steinkruger.
The counties approved for CRP emergency grazing are Banner, Dawes, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan and Sioux. The CRP emergency grazing authorization for 2012 is effective immediately and currently ends on Sept. 30, 2012.
The Nebraska State FSA Committee reviewed the provisions for the emergency haying and grazing and made a number of recommendations to officials in the national office. These recommendations are under consideration. At the present time, haying of CRP is not authorized until the July 15 nesting date.
FSA Permits Emergency Grazing Use of CRP in Six Counties
"Eligible producers who are interested in emergency grazing of CRP must request written approval from the Farm Service Agency before grazing eligible acreage," says Steinkruger. "Producers must also obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service that outlines permitted grazing practices," he said. There will be a 25 percent annual payment reduction for CRP acres used for grazing under these emergency provisions.
To take advantage of the emergency grazing provisions, authorized producers can use the CRP acreage for their own livestock or may grant another livestock producer use of the CRP acreage. The eligible CRP acreage is limited to acres located within the approved county.
Eligible producers who are interested in grazing CRP under the emergency authorization and current CRP participants who choose to provide land for grazing to an eligible livestock producer, must first request approval to graze eligible acreage through the FSA and obtain a modified conservation plan from the NRCS to include grazing requirements.
For more information and/or to request approval for emergency grazing of CRP acres contact your local FSA office. Additional information is available at www.fsa.usda.gov.