North Dakota Senator John Hoeven hosted a roundtable discussion on the Market Facilitation Program payments for 2019 in Fargo. North Dakota Corn Council Secretary Scott German attended. The Oakes, North Dakota farmer asked Hoeven about prevent plant sign up and MFP. Hoeven explained the Commodity Credit Corporation funding used for MFP can only be used if there is a planted crop. German also asked if prevent plant acres could be used in times of disaster. “Why can’t we use a provision like emergency CRP haying and grazing, allowing producers to hay a percentage of their prevent planted acres with a forage crop and not be penalized? There’s a date now of November 1. We want to see that date moved up to September,” said German. “That allows producers to hay a percentage of their prevent plant acres without corn stalks to graze this fall. Hay will become a critical issue going into the winter.”
