Cotton Left Out of Omnibus

WASHINGTON (DTN) -- The chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and the National Cotton Council lashed out Monday at a pair of senior Democratic senators after learning the deal to fund the federal government does not include program changes that would help cotton farmers.

Congressional appropriators reached a deal on an omnibus bill to fund the government through Sept. 30 without any provisions to help the dairy or cotton industries.

The National Cotton Council called out Congress for not including language in the bill that would allow cotton producers to collect farm program payments for cottonseed production. Ronnie Lee, a cotton producer from Bronwood, Georgia, and chairman of the National Cotton Council, said the NCC "is extremely disappointed that the fiscal year 2017 omnibus appropriations bill does not include the cottonseed policy developed by the U.S. cotton industry in consultation with Congress."

The National Cotton Council will now appeal to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to determine what administrative options USDA has to help cotton producers, Lee stated. "Our industry will remain optimistic that the economic wellbeing of farm families and our rural communities will ultimately prevail over Congressional politics." Lee blamed Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. and Senate Agriculture ranking member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., for the lack of a cotton provision. Leahy and Stabenow sought to link cotton and dairy programs in any funding deal. In the end, neither was funded.

"The Senators' desire to help dairy producers somehow became a prerequisite for whether Congress could provide a policy to cotton producers to help respond to the ongoing financial and trade policy challenges," Lee said. "There was no rationale or justification for linking support between cotton and dairy producers. These actions not only have left cotton producers with no near-term options to help them deal with long-running economic issues but have harmed the prospects for developing a new farm bill. Without the cottonseed policy in place, the result is that all farm bill stakeholders will be seeking support from an expected smaller overall budget available for the next farm bill."

Stabenow said she was disappointed that the agreement didn't include additional support for dairy or cotton. Still, Stabenow said she was pleased the bill rejected White House proposals to cut clean-water infrastructure programs.

"We have the responsibility to address the concerns of all farmers who need a strong safety net, and I will continue to take every opportunity to fight for Michigan farmers and families," Stabenow said.

"As we begin work on the 2018 farm bill, I will continue to ensure that our farmers have effective risk management tools in times of low prices or weather disasters," she said.

The push for a dairy program came after President Donald Trump called out Canada's supply management for dairy that had cut off U.S. exports of some forms of milk. The move by Canada has put a squeeze on dairy farmers who relied on those exports.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, agreed with the cotton growers that Leahy and Stabenow were responsible for killing a deal that would have helped cotton producers. Conaway said Stabenow and Leahy tried to cobble together an $800 million plan that Conaway called "last minute, unvetted, and totally unpaid for." Conaway said when the senators did not get their way, they blocked funding for the cotton growers as well.

"I hope that all lawmakers will come together on policies broadly supported by those they are designed to help, thoroughly vetted, and fully paid for. Senators Stabenow and Leahy should not be playing games with the livelihoods of those who work hard to put food on our tables and clothes on our backs. I want to reassure the nation's farmers and ranchers that I, and many of my colleagues, are fully committed to correcting this wrong and seeing them through their current economic challenges."

Stabenow had told the North American Agricultural Journalists last week that the dairy and cotton issues needed to be handled together legislatively.

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition praised the bill for several provisions. The spending bill increases funding for value-added producer grants, conservation technical assistance, Farm Service Agency loans and the sustainable agriculture research and education program. It also refrains from cutting farm bill funding for the Conservation Stewardship Program, USDA's largest working lands conservation program, the group said.

Still, the bill does cut funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

The Sustainable Agriculture Coalition also noted the bill does not include any policy rider that would block the livestock marketing rules now under review at USDA. "We are encouraged by this decision and call on USDA to finalize the rules without delay," the group stated.

The SoAR Foundation, a group concerned with agricultural research, praised the bill for a $25 million increase in agricultural research.

The budget for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) has now reached $375 million, with the last two fiscal budgets providing a 15% boost, the group said.

"As Congress continues to embrace the importance of agricultural research, everyone benefits," said Thomas Grumbly, president of the SoAR Foundation. "With more science at their disposal, farmers can improve production and efficiency in the face of rising costs and threats like drought, avian flu and citrus greening disease. Consumers then benefit from more stable food prices."

"This budget increase also sets the table for 2018 farm bill negotiations, which are now underway," Grumbly added.

DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton contributed to this report.

Jerry Hagstrom can be reached at jhagstrom@njdc.com

Follow Jerry Hagstrom on Twitter @hagstromreport

Chris Clayton can be reached at chris.clayton@dtn.com

Follow Chris Clayton on Twitter @ChrisClaytonDTN

(BAS/SK)

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