Manhattan, Kansas, August 30, 2012 --- Adrian J. Polansky, State Executive Director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Kansas announced today that emergency grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage has been authorized to extend to November 30, 2012 from the original September 30th final date.

On August 29th, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that “[ in order] to assist producers, USDA is permitting farmers and ranchers in drought stricken states that have been approved for emergency grazing to extend grazing on CRP land through November 30, 2012, without incurring an additional CRP rental payment reduction.”

“Because of the severe and ongoing drought conditions, emergency grazing in approved Kansas counties is allowed through November 30, 2012” stated Polansky. The emergency grazing extension applies to eligible practices except for continuous practices. Polansky added, “The Kansas FSA State Committee completed the emergency grazing authorizations in all Kansas counties on July 20th as a result of the D2 Severe Drought designations.” As of August 28, 2012, a good portion of Kansas has elevated to D3 and D4 on the U.S. Drought Monitor. Drought monitor conditions can be found at www.droughtmonitor.unl.edu.

Participants shall leave at least 25 percent of each field or contiguous CRP fields ungrazed for wildlife, or graze not more than 75 percent of the stocking rate as set by the Natural Resource Conservation Service. All livestock must be removed by the end of this grazing period. Producers without livestock may rent or lease the grazing privileges.

The Secretary of Agriculture announced on July 11, 2012, the payment reduction cost for Emergency haying and grazing was reduced from 25 percent of the rental payment per acre to 10 percent for the 2012 year.

CRP participants shall contact their local FSA county office, if they have not already done so, to request emergency grazing on an individual contract basis prior to grazing. Participants shall work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to develop a forage management plan. If the CRP cover is destroyed, the practice must be re-established at the participants own expense to remain in compliance with the CRP contract.

Participants accept a 10 percent reduction in the annual rental payment for the acres actually hayed or grazed in 2012. CRP haying and grazing policies will be posted on-line at www.fsa.usda.gov/ks

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