March 28, 2024

Haying deadline extended until Sept. 20

Based on the unique circumstances of timing of the release of emergency haying Aug. 29, the deputy administrator for Farm Programs has approved a request to extend the deadline to complete the emergency haying until Sept. 20.

This extended timeframe is only authorized for the counties that reached D2 Drought Severe status Aug. 27. This included Clarke and Union counties. This did not include Decatur County.

The payment reduction is reduced from 25 percent to 10 percent. For 2013 only, hay may not be sold if it was sold from the same acreage in 2011 or 2012. Emergency haying provisions the producer must leave at least 50 percent of each field or contiguous CRP fields unhayed for wildlife and the producers should be advised of practices eligible under this authority.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor posted Thursday, Sept. 5, there are 49 counties in Iowa that have all or a portion of the county in D2 Drought-Severe Status. Clarke and Union County has qualified for Emergency grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

Emergency grazing shall end no later than Sept. 30, 2013. Leave at least 25 percent of each field or contiguous field ungrazed for wildlife, or graze no more than 75 percent of the stocking rate determined by NRCS.

The payment reduction for 2013 is 10 percent of the annual rental rate per acre. Acreage eligible for emergency grazing includes practices CP1, CP2, CP4B, CP4D, CP 10 and CP38. The following practices of the named SAFE projects may be grazed, Grand River Grassland, Gaining Ground for Wildlife and Iowa Pheasant Recovery.

Producers wanting to emergency graze shall follow the normal requirements to request and receive COC/CED approval. Please contact the Clarke-Decatur FSA Office for any questions in regard to the emergency grazing of Conservation Reserve Program acres in regard to farms carried in Clarke-Decatur FSA Office.