USDA Moves Cover Crop Harvest Date for Prevent Plant Fields

Farmers who planted cover crops on prevented plant acres can hay, graze or chop those fields earlier than November this year.  The Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency adjusted the 2019 final haying and grazing date from November 1 to September 1 to help farmers who were prevented from planting because of excess rainfall this spring.

RMA said silage, haylage and baleage should be treated in the same manner as haying and grazing this year.  Producers can hay, graze or cut cover crops for silage and hay on prevented plant acres on or after September 1 and still maintain eligibility for their full 2019 prevented planting indemnity.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson welcomed the announcement, stating farmers “are in need of options and common-sense flexibility.” The Farm Service Agency will also extend the deadline to report prevented planting acres in select counties, and USDA will hold special sign-ups for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to provide cost-share assistance in the planting of cover crops on impacted land.

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