Contact: Ernie Blazar 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 224.0309
Monday, September 9, 2002

WASHINGTON - Senator Kit Bond and Representative Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) today announced emergency haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres to provide relief for farmers and ranchers in areas hardest hit by drought.

"Missouri's agricultural community has been hit hard by the drought," said Bond, who earlier this season asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the haying and grazing extension, as well as additional drought relief for the state. "Our farmers and ranchers need relief now, and this is a good first step."

Emerson, who serves on the House Agriculture Appropriations Committee noted, “During the Emerson Farm Tour, farmers from all over southern Missouri’s Eighth District talked to me about the challenges the extreme weather conditions have created for our farmers and ranchers, particularly livestock producers. In Congress, we’ve been working with other farm state legislators who have heard these concerns to help producers who have lost their hay stocks and grazing lands due to the recent disasters. It is my hope, that in the true Missouri tradition of neighbor helping neighbor, CRP participants in areas not affected by these disasters will make their CRP acreage available for haying or grazing or donate hay to those in need.”

Generally, to be approved for emergency haying or grazing, a county must have suffered at least a 40-percent loss of normal moisture and forage for the preceding four-month qualifying period. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will notify its State Committees that the 40-percent loss criterion no longer applies. State FSA committees may limit the area within the states if conditions do not warrant haying and grazing in all areas. CRP participants, where authorized, have until Nov. 30, 2002, to submit applications with their local FSA office for emergency haying or grazing. Conditions for participation and other details are available from local FSA offices. CRP participants who do not own or lease livestock may donate, rent or lease the hay or the haying or grazing privileges. CRP annual rental payments made to participants will be reduced 25 percent to account for the areas hayed or grazed, unless the hay or the haying or grazing privileges are donated. For the welfare of wildlife, at least 25 percent of the CRP contract acreage must be left ungrazed or unhayed.

Bond and Emerson also added that the USDA has developed a website for producers to list information concerning the need for hay or the availability of hay for sale or donation. More than 600 ads have been posted to the site; the majority from people selling hay, and more than 9,700 sessions have been recorded. The Hay Net may be found on the FSA Internet home page at http://www.usda.fsa.gov.

CRP is a voluntary program that offers annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term resource-conserving cover on eligible land. This action will permit CRP participants to graze livestock or hay on CRP acreage.

USDA has a variety of programs available to help eligible farmers recover from adversity. The Emergency Loan Program makes farmers and ranchers immediately eligible for USDA low interest emergency (EM) loans in agricultural disaster areas. For more information regarding actions by the Bush Administration to assist producers visit http://www.usda.gov/. For eligibility requirements on USDA disaster assistance, contact your local FSA office or visit FSA’s website at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov.