(AP) — Kansas is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend emergency haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program land.

State Agriculture Secretary Dale Rodman urged the agency in a letter Thursday to grant an extension through Nov. 30. The same step was taken during last year’s drought without landowners incurring penalties in the form of a rental payment reduction.

Rodman says that while parts of Kansas have benefited from needed rainfall, many portions of the state remain in a severe drought condition.

There are 2.15 million acres enrolled in CRP in Kansas.

Rodman says in a news release that allowing ranchers to continue accessing that forage could be the difference between maintaining a cow herd or facing liquidation.