Economic Impacts of the Sodbuster Provision of the New Farm Bill on West Texas Cotton Farms

Bob Davis and Gary Condra


 
ABSTRACT

The conservation compliance and sod buster provisions of the 1985 farm bill require that farmers of highly erodible land follow a conservation plan on their farms or lose all government program benefits. An eleven county area of the Texas High Plains was studied to estimate the effects of such plans on farm income and crops grown. Preliminary results indicate that farmers can profitably employ rotations and green manure crops behind irrigated cotton to meet the provisions of the bill with little sacrifice in returns. Also, there appears to be no need to switch cotton base for additional wheat or sorghum base to achieve this result. This is due largely to the change in the rules imposed by SCS.



Reprinted from 1988 Proceedings: Beltwide Cotton Production Research Conferences pp. 427 - 431
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN

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Document last modified Sunday, Dec 6 1998