USDA Authorizes Emergency Grazing in Drought Areas

A news release last week from USDA indicated that, “Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today authorized emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.  All or parts of these states are experiencing severe or extreme drought conditions – indicated as categories D2 and D3 on the U.S. Drought Monitor.

“‘Due to reduced availability of forage, ranchers in the hardest hit locations have already been culling their herds,’ said Perdue. ‘Without alternative forage options like grazing CRP lands, livestock producers are faced with the economically devastating potential of herd liquidation.’

“CRP is a voluntary program administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) available to agricultural producers to help them safeguard environmentally sensitive land and, when needed, provide emergency relief to livestock producers suffering the impacts of certain natural disasters.”

The release added that, “‘If the drought continues and pasture recovery becomes less likely, feed supplies will decline, the quality and quantity of hay is reduced and stock water becomes scarce – considerable stressors for both the livestock and our producers,’ said Perdue. ‘If opening up grazing lands reduces even some of these stressors for these ranchers, then it’s the right thing for us to do.'”

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