South Dakota Senator John Thune working with USDA officials has come up with a solution approved by the Ag Secretary that now allows for emergency haying and grazing in drought designated areas. Thune says an original decision handed down by the Ag Department called for producers to destroy hay on CRP acres.

He says he was able to convince the Ag Secretary to rescind the hay destroy order and to release CRP acres for emergency haying and grazing.

Thune says now producers suffering from the drought will now have the option to hay and graze their CRP land.

Thune says farmers and ranchers need the assistance because more than 90 percent of South Dakota is suffering from drought this year.