USDA

Approved by USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board Economic Research Service | Situation and Outlook ReportNext release isJanuary14, 2026CWS-25k|December 11, 2025 Leslie Meyer and Taylor Dew Global 2025/26Cotton Ending Stocks Rise asProduction Remains Above Mill Use The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released its August acreage report recently showing updated acreage from 14 states that were not finished planting during the agency’s initial report June 28. The weather-related delays affected cotton planting in...

By Kevin Hecteman Editor’s note: An article published in an earlier edition of Cotton Farming inaccurately stated the current minimum wage in California. The following article and charts reflect the accurate numbers. Right about the time most bleary-eyed revelers were yelling...

Before members of Congress left Washington for the political conventions and August recess, the House of Representatives passed a 2017 appropriations bill that included California drought-relief provisions. California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger says passage of the appropriations legislation by the House represents an important step toward addressing problems that limit the flexibility of the California water system. By a vote of 231-196, the House passed the 2017 Interior appropriations bill, HR 5538, including the California-related water provisions. The inclusion of the provisions on water could help set the stage for negotiations with the U.S. Senate this fall, says Erin Huston, CFBF federal policy consultant.“This is the first time the House has passed an Interior bill since 2009, which can be seen as a milestone in itself,” Huston says. “This bill provides a potential path for desperately needed federal drought legislation. We are still working under a very limited calendar, but we will continue to urge a federal legislative solution.”

TIP, CRP Programs Still Important Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that farmers, ranchers and landowners committed to protecting and conserving environmentally sensitive land were able to sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) beginning June 9. The Secretary...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) will begin accepting requests for marketing assistance loans (MALs) and loan deficiency payments (LDPs) for eligible 2014 commodities. Notice of the authorization was recently published in the Federal Register. MALs...

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the availability of more than $19 million in grants to help train, educate and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of agricultural producers through initiatives such as the Beginning Farmer and Rancher...

In recent remarks at the National Farmers Union National Con-vention, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new and expanded efforts to connect small- and mid-sized farmers and ranchers with USDA resources that can help them build stronger businesses, ex-pand to...

The National Cotton Council has scheduled 45 informational meetings in 15 Cotton Belt states during March 17-25 to provide its members with a greater understanding of The Agricultural Act of 2014. NCC President/CEO Mark Lange said, “This new five-year...

Producers couldn’t stop farming their crops while the Farm Bill was being debated for two years. Neither can they afford to hold off planting until USDA crafts the final rules and regulations. Seed must be planted, and a crop nurtured until harvest. For now, it is market prices, or lack thereof, and the unknowns about the Farm Bill that will cause many producers to proceed with caution.

BY DARRYL EARNEST MEMPHIS, TENN. • Grew up in rural west Alabama. • B.S. in Industrial Engineering, Univ. of Alabama - 1990. • Started career in Greenwood, Miss., field office. • Served in Memphis 1991-2000, 2002-2005 and 2011-present; Washington DC 2000-2002 and 2005-2011. • Served...