The USDA’s Risk Management Agency is allowing earlier haying and grazing of cover crops on prevent plant acres for portions of the Dakotas. A backlog in livestock due to the COVID-19 pandemic and large amounts of prevent plant acres in the Dakotas are the reasons why local farmers can now hay or graze cover crops as early as September. When requests were made earlier in the year, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue wasn’t sold on the effort, but Risk Management Agency Administrator Marin Barbre says the recent prevent plant acreage numbers were convincing. “As we’ve gathered more data on prevent plant acres compared to the normal acreages, we could see those areas were in need. We also felt like there was a need for forage in areas with livestock producers.” Forty-two counties in the Dakotas qualify for the relief. Hear the story.
