Ag Policy

• By Keith Edmiston • The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency released the 2021 crop Upland Cotton Loan Premium and Discount tables April 15. The biggest changes are in extraneous matter for plastics with level 1 and 2...

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...

• By Seshadri Ramkumar, Texas Tech University • Continued trade tension between the United States and China is affecting the global cotton and textile sectors. “Back and forth on tariff discussions is problematic, and it results in the slowdown of global cotton...

Plan Now to Attend The Annual 2019 LATMC In February The Louisiana Agricultural Technology & Management Conference sponsored by the Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association will be held Monday morning through Wednesday noon, Feb. 11-13, at Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville,...

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...

The NCC continues to work with U.S. cotton’s supporters in the House and Senate to achieve the industry’s policy priorities in farm legislation. The National Cotton Council (NCC) believes that House-passed farm legislation more fully addresses the U.S. cotton and...

Well, it’s time for another Farm Bill to make its way through Congress. It sure would be nice to get it out early so we can see what we’ve got to work with. Georgia producers didn’t want to change what...

The National Cotton Council identified multiple priorities it must address to continue effectively representing the U.S. cotton industry on legislative and regulatory issues. What are some key priorities? • A major concern is ensuring an effective safety net for cotton producers...

The National Cotton Council is urging the U.S. House of Representatives to approve the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, commonly known as the 2018 Farm Bill, without damaging amendments to farm policy. NCC Chairman Ron Craft, a Plains, Texas,...

The National Cotton Council prepared a document that provides significant clarity regarding the new Seed Cotton Program that was contained in recently enacted legislation. What’s the major policy change? • As noted in the March column, the Bipartisan Budget Act of...

By Christine Souza — Reservoirs are at or above average storage levels, and the Sierra Nevada snowpack is improved by storms in March and early April. However, farmers await word from federal and state water agencies about whether water allocations...

Although you may not embrace her politics, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) penned an interesting quote when she said, “If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re probably on the menu.” Many people in the cotton industry may have...

It is vital that generic base (former/previous cotton base) now or in the new Farm Bill be converted into something of value for the cotton grower.’ Under the 2014 Farm Bill (2014-2018 crop years), cotton is not a “covered commodity” and...

Commentary California Farm Bureau advocates for an end to ‘fire borrowing’ and takes other actions to reform forestry practices By Erin Huston California Farm Bureau Federation As dozens of wildfires burn across California and other Western states, the pressure ratchets up on Congress to...

The U.S. cotton industry recently formalized goals to help further reduce the environmental impact of U.S.-grown cotton — a step that will improve the raw material’s popularity in the global textile sector. How did this come about? Four years ago, Cotton...