The bill would require the Agriculture Secretary to treat some unplanted acres as prevented planting when farmers reasonably expected too little irrigation water. The acres must have working irrigation infrastructure, have been irrigated in at least one of the previous four crop years when water was sufficient, and have grown the same crop in at least one of those years. The land must not support dryland farming of that crop. Payments would be reduced for acres qualifying for five or more consecutive crop years: by 50 percent in years five through eight, 75 percent in years nine and ten, and 100 percent from year eleven onward. Acres subject to the full reduction would be permanently ineligible for covered-program payments. The bill would also revise rules about drought-related water shortages and require consultation with Farm Service Agency county committees and State technical committees when determining natural disasters.
Farmers could qualify for prevented planting payments for certain acres left unplanted because irrigation water was expected to be insufficient, if the bill’s conditions are met. Payments would decline for qualifying acres left unplanted for multiple consecutive years, eventually ending permanently for those acres.
The bill provides no spending estimate. It changes eligibility for payments under covered programs and sets reductions for qualifying acreage left unplanted for multiple consecutive crop years.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.