The continued drought is stressing Iowa’s corn and soybean crops, while cutting into the availability of hay and other feed for livestock.
During July, members of Iowa’s congressional delegation called for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow emergency haying and grazing on land that’s part of the Conservation Reserve Program or CRP. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says that request was granted on Monday. “U.S.D.A. announced 46 Iowa counties are now authorized for this emergency haying and grazing,” Grassley says. “Today also marks the last day of the primary nesting season, so starting tomorrow, these 46 counties are eligible for use.”
Grassley, a Republican, says he’s working with New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat, on bipartisan legislation which they hope to see included in the new Farm Bill. “It would lower the cap on available CRP acres from the current 28-million to 24-million acres,” Grassley says. “It would also reduce the payments from 85% to 75% of county average cash rent that farmers pay.”
The Farm Service Agency says 26 Iowa counties are cleared for unrestricted haying and grazing: Allamakee, Audubon, Benton, Buena Vista, Carroll, Cedar, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Crawford, Decatur, Des Moines, Fremont, Henry, Humboldt, Ida, Jones, Louisa, Marion, Muscatine, Page, Pocahontas, Sac, Shelby, and Washington. Another 20 Iowa counties have restrictions for haying and grazing: Appanoose, Cass, Davis, Harrison, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Lucas, Lyon, Mahaska, Mills, Monona, Monroe, Montgomery, Plymouth, Pottawattamie, Van Buren, Wapello, Wayne and Woodbury.
For full details, visit: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/FactSheets/crp_haying_grazing_factsheet.pdf