USDA expands emergency grazing in drought states

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing additional assistance for livestock producers dealing with the ongoing drought across North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana.

The USDA has expanded emergency grazing on land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, including those counties where drought conditions are moderate.

The agency says the authorization includes any county in which any part of its border lies within 150 miles of a county with severe drought.

The action also allows ranchers in the expanded set of counties to donate their hay to those in severe drought counties if the ranchers are CRP contract holders.

Farmers enrolled in CRP received a yearly payment for removing environmentally-sensitive land from production.