Gov. Jay Nixon this weekend directed the Missouri Department of Agriculture to request that the USDA Farm Service Agency open Conservation Reserve Program lands to grazing in counties meeting requirements for shortages of hay/forage and precipitation.
Approximately 1.4 million acres of Missouri land are enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program. When a county meets specific requirements, including a 40 percent shortage of hay/forage and precipitation, these lands can be opened for grazing. Last week, 58 percent of the state’s pastures were rated as poor or very poor in the USDA’s Weekly Progress Report. Missouri also is running 48 percent short or very short on hay supplies.
“Agriculture is the backbone of Missouri’s economy, and our farmers are currently facing extreme hardships because of record heat and low precipitation,” Nixon said. “We need to make every possible resource available to our farmers and producers to help them through these challenges.”