Ag Policy

The largest organization representing California family farmers and ranchers thanked voters for rejecting a ballot initiative that would have required foods containing genetically engineered ingredients to carry a special, California-only label. The California Farm Bureau Federation opposed Proposition 37,...

As part of federal efforts to provide necessary support to those affected by Hurricane Sandy, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has provided $5.3 million in Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program funds...

By Mark Lange NCC President/CEO Because U.S. cotton has become such a highly export-dependent industry, the Sourcing USA Summit’s importance has grown significantly since its initiation more than a decade ago. What is the Summit’s purpose? Since 1999, Cotton Council International, the National...

The November elections have come and gone; a president has been chosen; and the roster on Capitol Hill is in place. Cotton producers now have to assess the political environment in Washington, D.C., to try to determine what effect...

New grants totaling $8.4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Agency for Internat-ional Development and industry partners are helping University of California-Davis plant scientist Eduardo Blumwald reach out to feed and fuel the world. With his laboratory colleagues,...

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia has ruled that the American Farm Bureau Federation has a right to join in a lawsuit over the scope of the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate poultry...

By Rob Hotokainen McClatchy Newspapers Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says that U.S. farm exports are on pace to set a record high in 2013 but that sales will suffer if Congress does not resurrect a $200 million-a-year foreign marketing program that...

NCC Launches Program To Help Identify Industry’s Emerging Leaders The National Cotton Council has launched the Emerging Leaders Program, an effort aimed at ensuring the U.S. cotton industry benefits from a continuity of sound leadership. The project, sponsored by a grant to The...

Back in January of this year, I discussed cyclone repair and maintenance in order to minimize particulate emissions from cotton gins. This month I want to talk about the particulate that comes out of the gin cyclone exhausts that...

By Ronnie Hopper Petersburg, Texas For the past decade, our goal has been to apply no-till farming practices to our land located in the Pan-handle region of the South Plains of Texas. Overall, no-till has worked in our operation, but it...

Recognizing that recovery from the drought that affected much of the farm belt will be a lengthy process, Agri-culture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the scheduling of four regional meetings that will outline available resources to assist with local,...

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced $11.8 million in additional financial and technical assistance to help crop and livestock producers in 22 states apply conservation practices that reduce the impacts of drought and improve soil health and productivity. The U.S....

By Mark Lange NCC President/CEO The National Cotton Council is urging producers, ginners, warehousers and their employees to be proactive in preventing lint contamination this harvest season. Why the heightened concern? The most recent International Textile Manufacturers Federation survey of worldwide cotton contamination...

As the expiration deadline quickly approaches for the current Farm Bill, all eyes are on the Hill, and the clock is ticking. In a report dated Aug. 15, Kurt Guidry, with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusi-ness at the...

By Tommy Horton Editor Need to find an important contact in the U.S. cotton industry that might lead to a career opportunity? One of the best places to find such an environment is the International Cotton Institute conducted each year at...