riculture Secretary Tom Vilsack designated 128 additional counties in nine-states as natural disaster areas due to drought on Wednesday – along with announcing a two-month extension for emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program acres. Vilsack says it’s important for U.S. farmers and ranchers to have the tools they need to be successful in the long term – and this extension will allow farmers and ranchers approved for emergency grazing to extend grazing through November 30th without additional CRP rental payment reductions. Currently – the U.S. Drought Monitor indicates 63-percent of the nation’s hay acreage and 72-percent of the cattle acreage is experiencing drought.