Throughout the year, the National Cotton Council was very persistent in seeking congressional support for much-needed disaster and recovery assistance. How did the NCC push for this? ■ Recognizing the critical need for timely assistance for those who were devastated by Hurricanes Florence, Michael and other natural disasters in 2018 and early 2019, the NCC worked closely with Cotton Belt congressional ... Read More »
The National Cotton Council wants to show that U.S. cotton not only is among the most sustainably produced fibers in the world but is striving to further reduce its environmental footprint. Can U.S. cotton claim to be sustainable? ■ U.S. cotton producers operate under one of the world’s most stringent regulatory environments and already possess a near 40-year track record of ... Read More »
The National Cotton Council’s 2019 priorities are aimed at enhancing industry efficiency and economic stability. What about key policy issues? ■ Two major near-term priorities are pressing Congress to approve legislation that would provide disaster assistance for producers devastated by Hurricanes Florence and Michael and working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on 2018 farm law implementation. Regarding the ... Read More »
How have U.S. cotton’s priorities been conveyed? ■ At a recent USDA listening session, the NCC shared the industry’s needs for implementation of 2018 farm law programs administered by the Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service. NCC staff’s input included acknowledging the timely guidance that FSA and RMA issued regarding producer options for STAX or ... Read More »
The National Cotton Council characterized 2018 as a year with significant uncertainty and volatility in the world cotton market. It sees 2019 as having some important unknowns as well. Is there a predominant unknown factor for 2019? ▪ The ongoing U.S.-China trade dispute and the 25 percent tariff on U.S. cotton imported into China continues to be a wild card. ... Read More »
What are some major challenges? ■ In late January, the federal government was still shutdown and holding up such U.S. Department of Agriculture functions as direct and guaranteed loans for producers, marketing loans for cotton and other commodities, and sign-up for the Market Facilitation Program. The shutdown also halted the release of weekly cotton sales/shipments data and cotton prices as ... Read More »
How does the bill benefit the industry overall? ■ The continued safety net is especially crucial as much of the Cotton Belt faced devastating natural disasters during 2018, compounding producers’ financial strains from retaliatory trade tariffs on U.S. cotton. The bill includes many of our industry’s policy priorities — continuation of the Seed Cotton ARC/PLC program, full access to the ... Read More »
Cotton Farming One Grower Publications
