CRP Interim Rule Opposed by NGFA
Rule could hurt local economy and opportunities for new farmers.
Compiled by staff
Published: Oct 12, 2010
The National Grain and Feed Association is urging USDA to amend its interim final rules on CRP to prevent idling of excessive amounts of farmland. The Association's Vice President of Government Relations Randy Gordon says the concern is the agency doesn't plan to count land enrolled under continuous CRP when figuring the 25% acreage cap in individual counties.
"Our basic concern is that in some counties where they are already at that 25% cap or even a little over it, this would potentially create an avenue for some additional acres to go into CRP," Gordon said. "That might hurt that local economy and certainly the opportunity for young farmers and tenant farmers to get into the business."
Gordon says USDA's rationale is continuous CRP only includes the most environmentally fragile lands. However, NGFA don't think that's an acceptable stop-gap measure.
"If they retain that kind of position they ought to at least look at the impacts that this is going to have on farmers and ranchers in that area as well as agribusinesses," Gordon said. "Right now their position is that the only criteria they would use to exceed that 25% limit would be the permission of the county government and we don't think that is an adequate enough safeguard."
In their official comments on the USDA rule they also stated this policy is counter-productive when the U.S. is trying to create rural jobs and economic opportunities.
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