NCBA Applauds Emergency Grazing Legislation

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association applauded the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral PASTURE Act of 2020. PASTURE stands for Pandemic Authority Suitable To Utilize Easements. The Bill was introduced in the House by Kansas Republican Roger Marshall and Minnesota Democrat Angie Craig. Companion legislation in the Senate was introduced by South Dakota Republican John Thune and Minnesota Democrat Tina Smith.

“Yesterday’s introduction of the PASTURE Act is a welcome step toward providing grazing flexibility to livestock producers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ethan Lane, the NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs. “As farmers and ranchers are keeping and feeding livestock for longer periods of time, Congress must ensure that producers do not face a forage shortage. Emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program Acreage is a relied-upon practice for livestock and forage management.”

The PASTURE Act gives USDA the ability to open up CRP acreage for emergency haying and grazing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in mid-May, NCBA and 35 state affiliates sent a letter to Congress urging them to take action on this issue.

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