AAGC Urges Reconsideration Of USDA CRP Decision
The Alliance for Agricultural Growth and Competitiveness (AAGC) urged Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns to reconsider the department's decision to not allow penalty-free early release of acres from the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for 2007. In a letter signed by 37 industry organizations, AAGC explained that any weather uncertainty could adversely affect the size of the 2007 corn crop and impact the ability of the US to meet its food, feed, fuel and export needs.
The Coalition, which is coordinated by CMC, acknowledged that non-environmentally sensitive cropland in CRP cannot provide all the additional cropland needed to meet corn demand next spring; however, the group stressed its belief that CRP acreage can provide a "good measure" toward meeting it.