NCC Priorities and Achievements

In April 2018, the National Cotton Council compiled a list of its priorities for enhancing its continued ability to secure industry policy and convey a unified position to lawmakers and regulatory officials. This document also lists some key achievements of U.S. cotton's central organization on behalf of the industry's seven segments.

Published: April 26, 2018
Updated: April 26, 2018

National Cotton Council Priorities

The National Cotton Council’s (NCC) success rests in its ability to secure industry policy and convey a unified position to lawmakers and regulatory officials. While membership is near record levels, the NCC must continue to maintain and increase its membership base. Your membership dues will make a difference in the NCC’s ability to effectively represent the U.S. cotton industry on legislative and regulatory issues.

Farm Policy & Trade

  • Maintain an effective safety net for cotton producers in Title I of the next farm bill.
  • Successful implementation of the Seed Cotton PLC/ARC policy beginning with 2018 crop year.
  • Work for trade policies that are vital to the exports of U.S. cotton and textile products and protecting existing beneficial trade agreements.

Appropriations

  • Maintain funding for Boll Weevil/Pink Bollworm eradication, Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD), and all USDA/ARS cotton research efforts, especially the three USDA/ARS gin labs.
  • Coordinate an implementation strategy that will enhance boll weevil eradication efforts in Northern Tamaulipas, Mexico with USDA-APHIS and TX Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation.

Regulatory

  • Work with EPA, states, and stakeholders to maintain cotton registration/label for in-season use of labeled dicamba herbicides beyond 2018 and 2,4-D herbicides beyond 2021.
  • Oppose inequitable label restrictions on crop protection products relative to pollinator protection.
    • Specific emphasis on maintaining availability of neonicotinoid chemistries.
    • Work with EPA to encourage revisions to their pollinator risk assessment.
  • Support Section 18 requests for emergency use exemptions for Sulfoxaflor (Transform) each year for as long as cotton is omitted from the product’s Sec. 3 label.
    • EPA granted Section 18 requests for cotton in multiple states for 2018.
  • Engage EPA and Congress to prevent loss of key organophosphate crop protection products through reregistration process and lawsuits – Chlorpyrifos, Bidrin, Malathion, Def, etc.
  • Engage EPA on a rewrite of the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.
  • Work with the Food and Drug Administration, Congress, and state/regional gin associations to eliminate the requirements for cotton gins to comply with the new animal feed safety regulations.
    • Effective compliance dates have been delayed until at least January 28, 2019.
  • Maintain the Department of Transportation’s agricultural exemption from Hours of Service and
  • Electronic Logging Devices.
  • Coordinate the implementation of a plan for Pink Bollworm eradication efforts to transition to post-eradication status in U.S.

National Cotton Council Achievements

The National Cotton Council’s (NCC) success rests in its ability to secure industry policy and convey a unified position to lawmakers and regulatory officials. While membership is near record levels, the NCC must continue to maintain and increase its membership base. Your membership dues will make a difference in the NCC’s ability to effectively represent the U.S. cotton industry on legislative and regulatory issues.

Farm Policy, Economic Assistance & Crop Insurance

  • Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 includes NCC-developed policy to designate ‘seed cotton’ as a covered commodity eligible for the PLC/ARC programs in current farm bill.
  • Gin Cost Share Program announced by Secretary of Agriculture, providing $220 million on 2016 planted acres based on regional ginning cost rates.
  • Based on the recommendation of the American Cotton Producers, USDA’s Risk Management Agency is improving the crop insurance quality loss provision for all upland and ELS policies beginning with the 2018 crop year by replacing the 15% quality deductible with a 10% trigger.
  • Worked with RMA to implement STAX improvements for 2016.
    • Separate purchase decisions for irrigated and non-irrigated acres.
    • Cottonseed endorsement available on STAX policies.

2018 Omnibus Appropriations

  • $1.5 million in additional funding for the three ginning labs initially provided in 2017.
  • Full funding for MAP and the FMD program.
    • Cotton Council International continues to be the largest recipient of these marketing/promotion funds.
  • Full funding for the Joint Cotton Pests Account to fund boll weevil and pink bollworm eradication efforts.

Regulatory

  • Participated in a successful lawsuit to prevent more stringent EPA regulation of treated seeds (including neonic seed treatments) as proposed by some environmental groups and beekeepers.
  • Chlorpyrifos tolerance revocation stopped. Registration-review process continues through 2022.
  • In response to the NCC and other agricultural groups’ comments to proposed changes for the Certification of Pesticide Applicators rule, EPA has initiated a process to revise the rule’s minimum age requirements.
  • Submitted comments on 12 pesticides in 2017 and two pesticides in the first quarter of 2018.
  • Submitted multiple comments on proposed FDA, USDA, EPA, OSHA regulations in 2017.
  • Submitted comments on DOT’s efforts concerning Hours of Service, Electronic Logging Devices, and the agricultural exemption from those regulations.