National Cotton Council President John Pucheu said there is still a long way to go in the farm bill process - including next month's Senate markup - but the U.S. cotton industry already has benefited from a productive 2007 NCC Annual Meeting.
Pucheu told a joint meeting of the American Cotton Producers and The Cotton Foundation that February annual meeting boosted the U.S. cotton industry's preparation for that debate and development and “the Council was able to re-confirm our priorities for sound farm policy. We also prepared to undertake a number of internal initiatives in preparation for farm bill debate.”
Pucheu noted: 1) the NCC's House and Senate testimony which afforded the NCC to convey its support for the basic structure and provisions of the 2002 farm law and 2) meetings with Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, which allowed the NCC to provide its assessments of the current marketing conditions and review the NCC's policy for studying cotton flow and all facets of the marketing loan program.
“A majority of the Council's recommendations – regarding the structure and operation of the cotton program – were included in the legislative language approved by the House Agriculture's Subcommittee for General Farm Commodities and Risk Management,” the California producer said.
Pucheu told attendees that the NCC has continued its active involvement in World Trade Organization (WTO) issues, including Doha agricultural negotiations and theBrazil compliance case. Press reports indicate the Panel largely sided with Brazil, he said, but faces a likely appeal from the United States early next year.
marketing@alchempro.com
