By Macie Clugston
TFB Communications Intern

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) adjusted the 2019 final haying and grazing date from Nov. 1 to Sept. 1.

Farmers and ranchers who planted cover crops on prevented plant acres will be allowed to hay, graze or chop those fields earlier than November due to excessive rainfall and flooding this spring.

“We are making a change in our rules for 2019 only,” Martin Berbre, RMA administrator, said. “We will allow haying and grazing of cover crops planted after a prevented plant crop provided you do not harvest until after Sept. 1.”

USDA anticipates many farmers and ranchers will plant cover crops on prevent plant acres this year.

“We recognize farmers were greatly impacted by some of the unprecedented flooding and excessive rain this spring, and we made this one-year adjustment to help farmers with the tough decisions they are facing this year,” Bill Northey, undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, said. “This change will make good stewardship of the land easier to accomplish while also providing an opportunity to ensure quality forage is available for livestock this fall.”

Silage, haylage and baleage should be treated the same as haying and grazing for 2019.

Farmers and ranchers can hay, graze or cut cover crops for silage, haylage or baleage on prevented plant acres on or after Sept 1 and still maintain eligibility for their full 2019 prevented planting indemnity.

Berbre noted the agency will evaluate the need for a permanent adjustment.

“The best advice I can give to producers is to talk to your crop insurance agent,” Berbre said. “That agent has your specific numbers, your approved production history records and can tell you exactly what your prevented plant payments would be.”

Click here for more information about prevented plant.