OABA Signs Letter Regarding Reducing Conservation Reserve Program Acres in the Farm Bill Fiscal Cliff Package

The Ohio AgriBusiness Association joined the National Grain and Feed Association and 20 other state and regional affiliates in signing a letter to Senate Committee on Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, Senate Committee on Agriculture Ranking Member Pat Roberts, House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas and House Committee on Agriculture Ranking Member Collin Peterson.

The group commended the House Committee on Agriculture’s (H.R. 6083) inclusion of a more expedited schedule for reducing the annual acreage caps in the Conservation Research Proram to eventually reach 25 million acres, as well as for mandating that the U.S. Department of Agriculture give contract holders the freedom to begin restoring to production – prior to contract expiration and without penalty – qualifying CRP acres that can be farmed in an environmentally sustainable way. 

When conferencing both the Senate and House versions of the legislation, the letter urged that the Senate recede to the House CRP language, and urged them to consider extending the mandatory CRP early out language to apply to additional fiscal years beyond FY 2013.

Click here to read the full letter.