Congressional bill to open CRP land to grazing

DAVENPORT — As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect live cattle markets throughout the country, many ranchers and feedlot owners are looking for grazing land to hold animals that are awaiting slaughter.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a backlog of roughly 800,000 to 1 million head of cattle are awaiting slaughter as packing plants slowly return to capacity throughout the U.S.

The Tyson cattle slaughter plant in Kennewick, for example, is now operating “near” capacity, but company officials said that workers are consistently being checked for signs of the virus,...