Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he would decide “very soon” whether to allow cottonseed to qualify as an oilseed under the Price Loss Coverage and Agriculture Risk Coverage programs in the farm bill.
Vilsack told reporters on Wednesday the prime issue with the proposal is “whether there’s the legal authority to do what has been requested.”
Vilsack said when Congress authorized the Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) insurance policy for cotton in the farm bill, lawmakers “specifically took out cotton oil seeds from the program, which I think is a pretty significant piece of information as we look at what was intended at the time.”
He told reporters he also had to consider the cost of the industry proposal and whether subsidies for cottonseed would have to be offset by cuts elsewhere in his department’s budget.
“All these issues are being looked at. The general counsel’s office is involved. Foreign Ag Service is involved. Farm Service Agency folks are involved, so that I get a 360-degree review of this issue, so we can figure what we can do to be as helpful as we can be within the confines of the law,” Vilsack said.
Texas Farm Bureau supports the inclusion of cottonseed as an oilseed crop for the purpose of government program determination.