Bismarck - Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson has urged the federal government to immediately approve emergency haying of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres in all North Dakota counties previously approved for emergency grazing.
"The State Technical Committee requested a July 15 opening of emergency haying in counties certifying at least a 40 percent forage reduction," Johnson said Thursday, in a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer. "As you know, however, the counties submitted for emergency haying have been denied."
Johnson spoke with Schafer Wednesday, and told him that despite recent rain in some of those counties, no one there is reporting much over 50 percent of a normal hay crop. He also asked Schafer to approve a 10-percent payment reduction for emergency haying and grazing, and for managed haying and grazing in counties approved for emergency releases.
"It's difficult for producers to understand that USDA offers haying and grazing on CRP acres for a $75 fee for the whole contract and no payment reduction through the critical feed use program, but in emergency situations, they are being charged a 25 percent payment reduction," Johnson said. "It doesn't seem fair because it isn't fair, especially for producers who have become ineligible for the critical feed use program due to recent legal action against the program."
Johnson said, since USDA has charged a 10 percent payment reduction in most of the last five years of emergency CRP releases, it is important to try and achieve some equity among producers whose options have been limited through no fault of their own.
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"The 10 percent payment reduction should be retroactive for those producers who have already utilized emergency grazing," Johnson said. "It should also be retroactive for those who already signed up for managed haying and grazing in the approved emergency grazing counties."
The North Dakota Drought Task Force, chaired by Johnson, requested emergency grazing on all CRP acres on June 10. Two weeks later, USDA approved emergency grazing in 26 counties.
