April 2, 2008

Cattlemen seeking greater flexibility on CRP acres

(Audio with Eric Smith of Reform, Alabama - vice chairman of the National Cattlemen"s Beef Association Policy Division)

In one of today's major activities at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) Spring Legislative Conference, cattlemen from throughout the nation will meet with officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. One of the issues to be discussed is the possibility of opening more Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres to haying and grazing. According to Alabama cattleman and NCBA Policy Division Vice Chairman Eric Smith, this is an especially urgent issue in the southeastern United States, where two years of severe drought have caused great hardship for many livestock producers. 

Audio Clip:   :36        Out cue: “… through this tough time.”