U.S. senators call for planting on conserved land in response to Ukraine crisis

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

(Reuters) - Two U.S. Senators are joining farm groups and other lawmakers in calling on the Department of Agriculture to allow farmers to plant conserved acres this spring in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Cynthia Lummis sent a letter to agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack on March 31 calling on USDA to allow farmers to plant acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) without penalty.

"Allowing crop production on CRP lands is a critical step for stabilizing food prices that have skyrocketed in recent months, and to help American growers fulfill the unmet global demand for grains that threatens the lives of tens of millions of people," the Senators wrote.

USDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/u-s-senators-call-for-planting-on-conserved-land-in-response-to-ukraine-crisis/ar-AAVL8AN

[Coventina]

1. Any excuse to undermine environmental protections.

I have no words to express how much I hate these people.

[Botany]

3. CRP lands can not become farmland just because you want to do so.

Besides who needs clean streams and less erosion anyway.

[Budi]

5. That's exactly why the dirty thirties was called the dust bowl

People tilled the native grasslands up to their front door. And the wind came sweeping down the plains.

[Botany]

7. And instead of replanting the prairies with native grasses and forbes in many cases they planted ...

.... trees that were not native to the region.

If land has been in the CRP for any amount of time the idea that you can just mow it down,
till it, and then plant a crop on it is nuts. Livestock might be able to graze on it but it is worth
more to the farmer as is.

[Budi]

12. That is exactly right.

[DURHAM D]

13. Thank you for posting.

Do you have one with those moisture sucking cedar trees that then contribute to wildfires getting out of control?

Farmers are totally abusing the CRP program.

[spanone]

10. ☝️

[OhZone]

2. The irony is that "Conservatives" don't want any Conservation.

Oh well.

[pecosbob]

4. Next they'll call for drilling in the ANWR to make up for the blockade of Russian oil and gas

I'd wager it's the very same folks that voted against cheap insulin for Americans. Eff them and the horses they rode in on.

[2naSalit]

6. They will also be demanding...

More National public land grazing acreage with lower fees, just watch.

[wnylib]

8. There is another way to increase production

and without harming conservation land.

For decades the federal government has paid farmers to leave some land fallow in order to suppress production and maintain profitable prices. My husband's cousin had 600 fallow acres of farmland that earned him a supplemental income. He was also a Republican who used to rail against people getting government assistance in health care and food instead of working harder to earn money for food and medicine.

The feds could encourage planting those fallow acres in order to increase production. They would probably need to give farmers an incentive, but it would provide more food.

[DURHAM D]

9. oh brother

CRP is already a much abused (by the farmers) program.

My uncles and grandfather always referred to the CRP program as welfare for farmers.

[spanone]

11. Marco, always wrong on everything.

[Raven123]

14. Or they could farm on existing farmland, kinda like drilling where companies have permits

[SWBTATTReg]

15. This is stupid. There are probably tons of farmers that have millions of tons of stored grains in..

their silos still, waiting for a better market to sell their grains, and now, that higher prices are here, they (Senators) want to kneecap farmers from enjoying higher prices for their crops (so this points to the wealthy middleman in the middle who buy and/or sell these crops are obviously chafing at the higher prices they have to pay).

Also, I think farmers are also realizing the value of setting aside acreage to lay fallow, unplanted, it gives the soil a chance to recharge itself, rest, etc., as well as helping wildlife.