March 24, 2022

Farm groups in the US call for sowing on protected land

Seven US agriculture lobbying organisations have urged the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to allow farmers to plant on land set aside for conservation to fill the shortage of Ukrainian corn, wheat, and sunflower oil, Reuters reported.

The organisations, which include the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Grain and Feed Association and others, representing farmers, feed producers, grain exporters, millers, bakers and oilseed processors, called on the USDA to provide flexibility to farmers to plant crops on 4 million acres of protected land without penalty.

The land is enrolled under the Farm Service Agency's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which pays farmers to fallow land for a 10-year period.

If the land is used, 18.7 million tonnes of grain are expected to be produced based on 2021's average corn yield.

The call by the organisation echoes a request by US Senator John Boozman of Arkansas, as well as calls from agriculture economists.

Some farmesr are sceptical as CRP acres are normally difficult to farm, have poor soil, or are environmentally sensitive.

The USDA-FSA said there are no plans currently to relax CRP rules. Tom Vilsack, US Secretary of Agriculture, did not rule out sowing on the protected land.

-      Reuters