U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to quickly implement a section of law that will give the nation’s farmers flexibility and more certainty to harvest, graze and terminate cover crops while maintaining their eligibility for federal crop insurance.
Clearer guidelines and an earlier haying and grazing date will spur wider use of cover crops, which help reduce soil erosion and improve soil health, weed suppression and moisture retention, according to Sen. Hoeven’s office.
“Cover crops are an important tool for our farmers, allowing prevent plant acres to be better maintained and protecting environmental quality,” Sen. Hoeven said last week.
The lawmaker is among seven other members of Congress who signed a June 6 letter sent to Bill Northey, under secretary of farm production and conservation for the USDA, urging that he implement section 11107 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the 2018 Farm Bill, “so the 2019 cover crop growing season, which occurs from late summer to early fall, is not missed.”
The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) currently has set Nov. 1 as the haying and grazing date, but Sen. Hoeven said that requirement prevents producers from making good use of cover crops.
“The reality is that the November 1 date is too late in the year, especially in northern states, for producers to be able to reliably hay or graze these acres,” said Sen. Hoeven. “That’s why we are urging the administration to remove roadblocks that limit the use of cover crops and provide flexibility under the cover crop haying and grazing date.”
Among the lawmakers joining Sen. Hoeven in signing the bipartisan letter are U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Dick Durbin (D-IL).