AUSTIN — Texas Agriculture Commissioner Rick Perry announced Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a waiver to allow haying of Conservation Reserve Program land in 49 Texas counties. Haying is limited to one cutting, and producers cannot hay and graze the same CRP land.

In May, Perry requested that USDA grant a waiver to allow Texas producers to hay and graze CRP land to provide forage for livestock and to help remove a source of fuel for potential wildfires. The waiver to graze was granted in June.

"With drouth conditions becoming worse across Texas, our producers have been looking at every available resource to provide feed and forage for their livestock," Perry said. "The waiver to allow haying of CRP land will provide a source of forage at a time when hay supplies are becoming dangerously low in many areas of the state.

"The dried grass has also posed a serious fire threat in some of our rural areas. Removing this source of fuel from the land helps reduce the danger from fast spreading brush fires," Perry added.

Emergency haying has been authorized through the earlier of either August 31, 1998 or until the county USDA Farm Service Agency office deems that emergency haying is no longer needed.

Producers who hay their CRP acreage must leave at least 50 percent of each field or adjacent field uncut for wildlife habitat. In addition, CRP payments will be reduced by 25 percent of the per acre annual payment rate multiplied by the number of acres actually hayed in fiscal year 1998.

"Farmers and ranchers should also check with their local FSA office for additional details and to complete the necessary forms before they can hay or graze CRP acreage," Perry advised.

Texas has 3.6 million acres in CRP land. Texas counties currently authorized for CRP haying include: Andrews, Bailey, Briscoe, Borden, Cameron, Carson, Castro, Cochran, Coke, Collingsworth, Concho, Cottle, Crosby, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Dimmit, Duval, Fisher, Floyd, Gaines, Glasscock, Hale, Hansford, Hardeman, Haskell, Hockley, Howard, Jones, Kent, King, Lamb, La Salle, Lubbock, Lynn, Martin, Mitchell, Moore, Nolan, Oldham, Parmer, Randall, Runnels, Scurry, Sherman, Sterling, Swisher, Taylor, Willacy and Zavala.