Farm Bill Veto Override Important Step

MEMPHIS - The National Cotton Council expressed appreciation to all Members of the House and Senate who acted in a bipartisan manner to promptly override the President’s veto of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.

NCC Chairman Larry McClendon said, “Although prices for some commodities are currently at attractive levels, farmers are planting at a time of unprecedented increases in input costs with no commodity policy in place. Commodity prices are cyclical and U.S. agriculture needs the certainty in policy that this farm legislation will provide in order to make market oriented cropping and marketing decisions. There was simply no viable option except to override the veto and put predictable policy in place for farmers, lenders and rural communities.”

McClendon acknowledged that there may be questions about the legality of the legislation enacted as a result of the override vote due to procedural errors in enrollment. He urged Congress to take necessary action to remove any legal questions so farmers and rural communities are assured the programs authorized by the legislation are in effect.

The U.S. cotton industry provides employment for some 235,000 Americans and generates more than $120 billion in annual economic activity. The NCC’s mission is ensuring the industry’s ability to effectively and profitably compete in the raw cotton, oilseed and U.S.-manufactured product markets at home and abroad.