The cotton industry is experiencing a number of changes already in 2018, some of which includes ginning assistance and a new safety-net under the current farm bill. Cotton is now included in Title I, which means the commodity is eligible for Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC).
However, these changes are not locked into the 2018 Farm Bill. Analysts say the industry can still aim for changes or ask for an extension of the new program in the next farm bill. Both the National Cotton Council (NCC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expect an increase of cotton acreage this season.
However, parts of cotton country remain dry, and some parts have not seen rain in over 100 days. Will a run in cotton prices sway acreage to cotton in the South? Could a new safety-net make a difference in planting decisions?
AgDay and U.S. Farm Report national reporter Betsy Jibben talks with Bart Davis, a cotton producer in Doerun, Georgia; Jody Campiche, vice president of economics and policy analysis with the National Cotton Council; Ashley Arrington, founder of Agri Authority; Mary Kay Thatcher, senior lead of government relations with Syngenta; Adam Rabinowitz, professor with University of Georgia Extension and John Payne, publisher of the newsletter, “This Week in Grain.”
