Texas cotton producers are pleased to learn the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reconsidered its decision about implementing a provision of the farm bill, reports the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
Now the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) will be able to calculate production yields for all commodities by county in time for the 2015 crop year. Before the recent decision, the RMA was unable do the calculations until 2016. As a result, cotton growers were expected to be hit the hardest by this delay.
“Hardworking farmers in the 19th District of Texas have been plagued by severe drought and deserve immediate relief as intended by Congress in the farm bill,” U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, said in a statement.
“While I have been deeply frustrated with the delayed implementation of the Actual Production History adjustment, I welcome today’s news and applaud Secretary Vilsack for providing this much-needed relief for our producers. I look forward to working with Secretary Vilsack and my colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee to see that the farm bill implementation process moves forward and meets the true needs of America’s farmers.”