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CRP scrutinized during farm bill roundtable

The Conservation Reserve Program is being scrutinized during farm bill listening sessions. 

Iowa U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley took part in a farm bill roundtable in Lake City, Iowa Monday afternoon where one attendee told him young farmers are being outbid by CRP for acres.

“We want to make sure that the farm bill prohibits the federal government from paying more than a certain percentage of an average cash rent in a county, can’t pay more than that amount.”

He tells Brownfield the current farm bill caps CRP rates at 80 percent.

“But, I think this administration is wanting to put more land into grass, and they’ve found ways of getting around that 80 percent so that they can pay more and make the cash renter uncompetitive.”

The Iowa Republican also wants to remove barriers to grazing CRP lands in the next farm bill.