NCC Lauds Rural Prosperity Task Force Efforts

By Jim Steadman|January 11, 2018

The National Cotton Council (NCC) lauds the work of the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity that was presented to President Trump the week of January 12.

The task force was formed following the signing of an Executive Order by President Trump in 2017.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue served as chairman of the task force, which identified more than 100 recommendations to help improve life in rural America. These recommendations focused on five areas – E-Connectivity, Quality of Life, Rural Workforce, Technology, and Economic Development.

Specific recommendations included:

Ensuring access to a lawful agricultural workforce
Increasing acceptance of biotech products around the world
Developing a streamlined, science-based regulatory policy for biotechnology
Helping rural businesses have access to capital
Rebuilding and modernizing rural America’s infrastructure
Cutting red tape
Increasing access to global markets.

NCC Chairman Ronnie Lee, a Georgia cotton producer, said, “It is encouraging to see that at the highest levels of our government, President Trump and Secretary Perdue, along with other Cabinet members, recognize the struggles we see every day in rural America. Not only do they acknowledge these struggles – they have charted a path forward to address them and help ensure a bright future for rural America that will allow us to continue clothing and feeding the world.”