Are
you one of the many affected by the drought? In a recent announcement
by the Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, programs are being implemented
to assist the many farmers and ranchers who are being impacted by what
is considered to be the most wide-spread drought in seven decades.
Vilsack
announced new flexibility and assistance in the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's major conservation programs to get much-needed help to
livestock producers as the drought intensifies. He also announced plans
to encourage crop insurance companies to provide a short grace period
for farmers on unpaid insurance premiums, as some farming families can
be expected to struggle to make ends meet as the crop year comes to a
close.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) - This will allow additional acres to be used for haying or grazing to provide much needed feed to livestock.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) - This will allow
farmers and ranchers to modify current EQIP contracts for prescribed
grazing, livestock watering facilities, water conservation and other
activities.
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) - This will allow haying
and grazing of WRP easement areas in drought-affected areas where such
haying and grazing are consistent with conservation of wildlife habitats
and wetlands.
The Federal Crop Insurance Program is targeted to
producers who may be experiencing cash flow problems due to natural
disaster. The USDA will encourage crop insurance companies to
voluntarily forego charging interest on unpaid crop insurance premiums
for an extra 30 days, to November 1, 2012, for spring crops.
As
a means of delivering assistance to those who need it most, the
Secretary recently reduced the interest rate for emergency loans from
3.75 percent to 2.25 percent. In addition, the Secretary reduced the
annual rental payment to producers on CRP acres used for emergency
haying or grazing from 25 percent to 10 percent.
Click here for details on the programs mentioned above. For more information on disaster and drought assistance, please visit www.usda.gov/drought.
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