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USDA Authorizes more counties for emergency haying and grazing

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the authorization of additional Illinois counties for emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program acres. Emergency haying and grazing of CRP acreage may be authorized to provide relief to livestock producers in areas affected by a severe drought or similar natural disaster. The authorization came from Farm Service Agency State Executive Director William Graff. Counties now authorized for emergency haying or grazing include Knox, Fulton, Mercer, Pike, Schuyler, Brown and Kankakee Counties. Earlier this month, Warren, McDonough, Adams and Hancock Counties were authorized. Authorization for the grazing period will end for all counties on September 30th – for haying, it ends on August 31st. In a press release, Graff said that producers that are interested must request approval and obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Current provisions allow grazing on 75 percent of a field at no more that 75 percent of the stocking rate. Haying provisions require producers leave at least 50 percent of each field unhayed. The same CRP acreage cannot be both hayed and grazed at the same time. So, if 50 percent of a field is hayed, the remaining unhayed 50 percent cannot be grazed – it must remain unhayed. Participants are also limited to one hay cutting, and are not permitted to sell the hay.

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