Cotton Growers: Farmers need the Farm Bill

Congress will return to Washington on Tuesday, where they will consider the Farm Act. With no Farm Bill on the books, it was introduced to give farmers financial help.

Cotton growers say farmers need the support.

“And so we want to provide kind of a three-legged stool to bridge some of this gap moving forward from financial assistance to help mend the ag community, so we can continue to be helpful in developing food and fiber in the near term to come, and not have attrition if we do not see any of these avenues move forward. We see one stool that is lagging, and we will see attrition in the industry, be it producers or infrastructure at that most and that’s that’s unacceptable at this point,” said Kody Bessent.

The Farm Act could cost as much as $21 billion, which some analysts say will be a tough sell. Some lawmakers say the hefty price tag could complicate Farm Bill talks, which are still in progress.

Related Stories
The debate now matters as much as the policy — market rules and regulatory clarity depend on whether Congress can finish the bill this year.
Farm Bureau Economist Faith Parum discusses the latest Farm Bill proposal and the path ahead for Congress and U.S. agriculture.
Lori Stevermer with the National Pork Producers Council reacts to the USDA’s speedline proposal, the new Farm Bill’s fix for California’s Prop-12, and other policy developments impacting the pork industry.
Roger McEowen with the Washburn School of Law reviews key highlights from the House Agriculture Committee’s latest farm bill proposal.
Ag Committee Chairman Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson has referred to the proposal as “Farm Bill 2.0.”
RFD NEWS correspondent Frank McCaffrey spoke with U.S. Congressmen Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and John Rose (R-TN), who say bipartisan cooperation will be key to getting the Farm Bill to the president’s desk.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Dr. Peter Beetham with Cibus joins us to discuss the Supreme Court review of a case about glyphosate use, its potential impact on Bayer and Roundup, farmers who use the products, and the ag industry as a whole.
Meredith Petersen joined us to discuss the National Swine Health Strategy, how it was developed through industry collaboration, potential challenges ahead, and its expected benefits for pork producers.
K-State researchers advise producers to take action, highlighting that prevention is essential for controlling tick populations as cases spread West.
Shaun Haney joined us to discuss rising concerns over farmland ownership in Canada, actions being considered by provinces and farm groups, and the potential impacts of tighter regulations.
U.S. Soybean Export Council CEO Jim Sutter joins us to discuss the impact of new trade development funding for U.S. soy.
Rep. Adrian Smith joins us to discuss the push for nationwide year-round E15 sales and legislative hurdles for getting it into the farm bill.