True, if you're paying cash rent rates. But the farmers now clamoring for CRP aren't exactly asking for top dollar, are they? Seems to me they want the going CRP rate payment just so they can get ahead, knowing full well they're going to lose money planting crops even before they put a seeder on the field.
How many people will accept less for CRP than they could get for cash rent?
Also, how long do you think these rental rates are going to stay at $50-$120/acre if commodity prices stay low? Something is going to give. You're already seeing it from the fools who gobbled up land when corn and soybeans were at record highs. Those smart old-timers who waited out the frenzy are picking up land from broke farmers for pennies on the dollar in some places...
Indeed it may...not really yet. There are other factors in much of ND impacting what people will pay for land rather than production. ie oil, gravel,outside dollars ect.
By all means, let's end the CRP program. But tell me: What would happen if a few million acres of once fallow land suddenly got into production? Would that hurt or help your bottom line? Be honest.
It already is impacting crop prices with some of the specialty crops like sunflowers ect. where it does not take large acres to impact supply.
True, and maybe that's where CRP has gone astray. Then again, I think there's different criteria on what land can be accepted into the program. Maybe it's not marginal, but it is close to waterways or is full of puddles and seasonal wetlands. Or it's some rare eastern long-stem prairie in the RRV that's home to meadowlarks and monarchs. I honestly have no clue. I imagine there's a lot that goes into picking the land, especially now when there is a lot more demand from farmers than there are acres allowed in the program. The feds get to be a bit more picky on what does or does not cut the CRP mustard.
CRP started oput as a good program and was hijacked. Now as a result you have far less interest in the limited acres theyu wish to enroll. And many acres submitted are not qualifying. We looked at putting some in and between the length of contract, stipulations and not including all the acres on a quartter it was not worth it.
That's up the landowner, isn't it? And from what I've seen, the few WMAs that are grazed are done so annually. Doesn't look like the cattle minds one bit, despite the fact it's full of weeds. Maybe you just have picky cows? :;:
I take it you have never baled CRP that is full of 15 years worth of mole hills. You come out of the tractor a different person than you went in by the end of the day. 
A
re you an expert on what grasses constitute the most productive grazing? If not why argue? You do know the intent of grazing is to put pounds on calves and keep cows in condition to rebreed right? Different grasses impact that quite a bit.
Are you that expert? No? Then why argue?
Nope, a former Federal employee on here claims otherwise.
No arguing, just sharing a different perspective and a few facts.
