The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced the authorization of emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for 89 counties in Illinois. The decision comes in response to severe drought conditions affecting the region.
Starting from August 2, 2023, producers in the designated counties, including Adams, Bond, Cook, DuPage, Knox, Lake, Peoria, Sangamon, Will, and many others, can utilize CRP acres for emergency haying and grazing until September 30, 2023.
Eligibility for emergency haying and grazing is based on reaching the D2 (severe drought) level on the U.S. Drought Monitor for at least one week, along with being outside the primary nesting season (April 15th to August 1st). Counties with a documented 40-percent loss of forage production are also eligible.
Producers must request approval before haying and grazing and obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that includes haying and grazing provisions.
During the authorized period, participants are allowed one hay cutting and can either use the CRP acreage for their livestock or grant access to other livestock producers. However, the same CRP acreage cannot be both hayed and grazed simultaneously.
It's important to note that the emergency haying and grazing practices are eligible for all practices except CP38 (SAFE) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement (CREP) acres. Moreover, there will be no CRP annual rental payment reduction for 2023 emergency haying and grazing authorizations.
To make use of the emergency haying and grazing provisions, eligible producers should contact their local county FSA office and follow the guidelines to ensure proper implementation.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-r-j-seymour
Categories: Illinois, Sustainable Agriculture