A bipartisan bill to provide flexibility for harvesting and grazing cover crops on prevented plant acres has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.
Senators John Thune of South Dakota and Debbie Stabenow of
Michigan say the bill would make permanent the penalty-free haying and grazing
of cover crops allowed last year prior to November 1st.
Thune says the bill would remove the arbitrary date and
“help level the playing field” by giving producers “the certainty they need as
they prepare for another potentially difficult year.”
Stabenow says “improving crop insurance to encourage cover
cropping” will help farmers improve their land and address the climate crisis.”
The bill would allow USDA to include cover crop seed and grazing-related costs when calculating prevent plant indemnities.
