Forrest Laws reported earlier this week at the Delta Farm Press Online that, “Cotton producers were looking at prices 800 points higher than they were as July ended, but, as welcome as the improvement might be, growers still have a ways to go to dig their way out of their current economic dilemma.
“Thus, says Gary Adams, president and CEO of the National Cotton Council, the organization will continue to seek another path for its efforts to have cottonseed designated as an ‘other oilseed’ under the Agricultural Act of 2014 or 2014 farm bill.
“Speaking at the Southern Cotton Ginners Association’s summer meeting in Little Rock, Ark., Dr. Adams said the NCC would like to have a legislative remedy this fall for the impasse that occurred after Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he did not have the legal authority to make such a designation.”
The Delta Farm Press article added that, “‘If that does not occur, then there’s nothing to prevent us from asking the next Agriculture Secretary if he views the request differently,’ said Dr. Adams, referring to the new administration — Democrat or Republican — that is scheduled to take office in January.”
Additional background and analysis on the “other oilseed” issue for cottonseed is available here, in a BartellPowell update from earlier this year.