Haying and grazing of a cover crop for 2013 crop year

[May 10, 2013]  WASHINGTON -- The USDA announced Wednesday that due to cold and wet weather in many states, it is providing approved insurance providers the option to allow haying and grazing from the current May 10 deadline to May 22.

The USDA Risk Management Agency identified areas with the May 10 deadline where the wet, cold spring has delayed normal cover crop growth and normal spring planting preparations. There may also be areas where it may not be possible for producers to enter the field to terminate the cover crop or plant at this time.

Producers in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan seeking to continue haying or grazing a cover crop should contact their approved insurance providers to discuss eligibility. Because circumstances will be different for each producer, the insurance providers may, at their sole discretion, make a determination to approve the request.

Under the existing policy in the seven identified states, to insure a spring crop a producer must not hay, graze or harvest a cover crop after May 10. The existing policies also provide specifics of when the cover crop must be terminated before planting the spring crop.

This decision does not affect the date by which the crop must be terminated or the planting dates.

More information for producers and agents is available on the RMA website at
http://www.rma.usda.gov/
bulletins/managers/2013/mgr-13-004.pdf. The same bulletin is available by clicking here (PDF).

[Text from USDA news release received from the USDA Risk Management Agency, Springfield]