BILLINGS, MT (August 24, 2016) – According to Jennifer Cole with the Montana Farm Service Agency, seven Montana counties currently have been authorized for emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres due to drought.
Fallon and Carter counties were authorized early in August followed later by Wheatland, Carbon, Lewis and Clark, Yellowstone, and Stillwater.
Emergency haying and grazing due to drought is based on a couple factors: a 40{75e25ebeb47fb4337942be2c10689dca1c292c2a66240b62c5ca4214f5b25ecc} or greater loss in average precipitation, or if the county is designated in a drought category of D-2 or greater for a certain period of time on the U.S Drought Monitor.
Livestock producers with CRP may graze their own livestock on those acres or allow another producer to graze it. If the CRP grass is used for hay, that hay cannot be sold, only donated.
However the clock is ticking. Putting up hay on CRP must be completed by Aug. 31, and livestock are only allowed to graze on those acres until Sept. 30
If producers have any questions, Cole encouraged them to reach out to their local FSA office.
© Northern Ag Network 2016
