US Congress passage of bill to help cotton growers hailed

The US National Cotton Council (NCC) has praised the Congress for passing a supplemental disaster bill that includes critically needed policy to restore eligibility for cotton in the Title I ARC/PLC programs of the farm bill.

The legislation also includes important agricultural disaster assistance, as well as additional support for dairy producers.

“This measure will provide cotton producers and lenders some certainty as they prepare for the 2018 growing season. The new policy will help ease the financial burden as producers struggle to cover total costs,” NCC chairman Ronnie Lee said.

The Council has worked for more than two years to get stabilizing policy in place in advance of the next farm bill, an NCC press release quoted Lee as saying.

“And we will continue to work with Congress and the Administration to get a new farm bill enacted that will enable America’s farmers and ranchers to continue producing the abundant and affordable food and fibre our nation and world has come to expect,” he added.