Hoeven Joins Bipartisan Group to Introduce Legislation to Provide Emergency CRP Haying Flexibility

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, joined Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) in helping introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation to allow timely haying of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. In response to historic drought conditions, the CRP Flexibility Act would give the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authority to allow emergency haying before the end of the primary nesting season when certain conditions are met and in consultation with the state technical committee.

“Extreme drought conditions in North Dakota have impacted nearly every North Dakota ag producer and it’s critical we continue working to provide as much relief as possible for our farmers and ranchers,” said Hoeven. “This legislation offers a commonsense effort to help farmers and ranchers feed their livestock and weather the severe drought conditions in North Dakota.”

This legislation follows Hoeven’s continued efforts to provide relief to farmers and ranchers impacted by historic drought conditions. To date, the senator has pressed USDA’s Risk Management Agency to implement emergency procedures and secured: 

• Ability for insurance companies to accept delayed notices of loss in certain situations.
• Simplified paperwork requirements for producers filing claims.
• Flexibility on requirements for representative crop samples when damage is consistent.
• Continued streamlining of the large indemnity review process to help prevent delays in producer payments while maintaining program integrity.

The CRP Flexibility Act was introduced in the House by U.S. Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and is also co-sponsored by Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Reps. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.), Jim Hagedorn (R-Minn.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) and Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.).  

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