Breaking it All Down

The National Cotton Council (NCC) set about the challenging task of explaining the 2008 Farm Bill to growers Beltwide in June, during a period of two weeks in which the legislation was still making its way around a second presidential veto. The NCC conducted 45 informational meetings June 17–26, aimed at educating growers about the new Bill’s provisions. Time was obviously of the essence.

“We wanted to get the information out on the key provisions quickly for the growers. Some of the provisions apply to the current crop, or decisions they need to make this year,” said Cotton Nelson of the NCC. “We did the same thing right after the 2002 Farm Bill.” The meetings were generally well-attended and broached a wide-ranging and often intricate assortment of provisions.

This year’s Farm Bill covers the 2008-2012 crop years, though some of the changes will not be implemented until 2009. Even after extensive technical research, NCC representatives urged growers to seek additional advice when interpreting some of the new Bill’s more complex provisions.

“I urge you to try to watch the Council’s website for any updates that are available, and as a final reminder, this is an overview as best as we understand it right now. The USDA and FSA are going to always be the final say about specifics in terms of how this affects your operation and implementations,” said Dr. Gary Adams, NCC Vice President of Economics and Policy Analysis, at a Memphis informational session.
Visit the NCC’s website to learn more on the 2008 Farm Bill as the year progresses: www.cotton.org

Caption/Photo:

Dr. Gary Adams