CURRENT ISSUE ARTICLES

Senate Passes Highway Bill

House Passes 'Major Rules' Bill

California Senators Introduce Drought Bill

Fuel Storage Legislation Introduced

Far West Producers to See Georgia Operations

Call For '16 BWCC Papers Issued

Sales Weak, Shipments Steady

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Senate Passes Highway Bill

The Senate passed the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act (S. 1647) by a 65-34 vote.

Earlier, the NCC joined other agricultural organizations on a letter to the full Senate conveying support for the multi-year surface transportation legislation. The letter is on the NCC's website at www.cotton.org/issues/2015/upload/15highwaylet.pdf.

The bill contains numerous provisions important to agriculture, including: 1) the Port Performance Act which ensures regular port performance metric collection and reporting that agricultural shippers need to be competitive in international markets; 2) a provision that provides permanent Hours of Service exemptions for agricultural producers and ensures a timely and efficient process to seek future exemptions; 3) a pilot program that would allow states to form compacts to allow licensed commercial drivers (CDLs) between 18-21 to drive across state lines (currently must be 21, even though 49 states allow drivers under 21 to hold CDLs); 4) an exemption to a hazardous materials endorsement for custom harvesters and other similar equipment to allow the operation of vehicles providing fuel for agriculture operations; and 5) numerous rail provisions important to agriculture.

With current funding expiring on July 31, both the House and Senate passed a three-month extension until a long term bill is passed.

House Passes 'Major Rules' Bill

The House passed the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (H.R. 427) by a 243-165 vote.

This bill would adjust the federal rule-making process to allow either body of Congress to approve or disapprove any "major rule" by federal agencies. Thus, any regulations that affect the economy by $100 million or more cannot be carried out unless Congress passes specific legislation approving them. In addition, this bill would require agencies to submit to Congress a cost-benefit analysis including studies, data and sound-science before any rule can go into effect.

After a rule is submitted to Congress, it will have 70 legislative session days to review the information and pass a joint resolution approving the rule. However, to ensure a timely decision, there would be expedited procedures in both chambers by barring amendments, blocking filibusters in the Senate and limiting debate in the House.

Bill supporters hope it will provide more transparency to the federal rule-making process, which affects the nation's economy by more than $1.88 trillion each year. The bill currently is awaiting further consideration by the Senate, where it is uncertain if there are enough votes to pass the measure.

California Senators Introduce Drought Bill

Sens. Feinstein and Boxer (both D-CA) introduced the California Emergency Drought Relief Act, a bill with both short- and long-term provisions designed to help communities cope with the ongoing drought and combat future droughts.

The bill includes a range of provisions to help those communities that are suffering the drought's worst effects. Included are provisions that would: 1) create a new UDA program to help stabilize water supplies for rural and disadvantaged communities with fewer than 10,000 resident; 2) authorize research funds for desalination projects; 3) authorize funds for water storage projects; 4) address conservation and groundwater recharge; and 5) authorize funds for endangered and threatened fish and wildlife. There also are numerous provisions related to water transfers. 

On July 16, the House approved by a 245-176 vote, the Western Water and American Food Security Act (H.R. 2898), which was introduced by Rep. Valadao (R-CA) and is a different bill aimed at addressing the California drought.

Fuel Storage Legislation Introduced

Rep. Crawford (R-AR) introduced the Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship (FUELS) Act (H.R. 3129). The bill, co-sponsored by 15 other House Members, would direct the EPA administrator to change the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulation with respect to certain farms.

The FUELS Act would:1) exempt from all of the rule's requirements any farm with an aggregate aboveground storage capacity of 10,000 gallons or less and no history of spills; 2) allow certification of compliance by the owner or operator of the farm, via self-certification, for a farm with an aggregate aboveground storage capacity greater than 10,000 gallons but less than 42,000 gallons, no individual tank greater than 10,000 gallons, and no history of spills; and 3) require certification of compliance by a professional engineer for a farm with an individual tank with an aboveground storage capacity greater than 10,000 gallons, an aggregate aboveground capacity greater than or equal to 42,000 gallons, or a history that includes a spill.

Crawford stated, "No one has more at stake in the health of their land than those who depend on it for their livelihood. My bill would restrict EPA's ability to enforce SPCC regulations on farms so that farmers and ranchers can invest their resources in producing necessary food and fiber without having to worry about unnecessary costs and red tape."

Similar legislation was passed by the House in previous Congresses, but failed to make progress in the Senate. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Detailed information on the bill is at www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3129/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22hr3129%5C%22%22%5D%7D.

Far West Producers to See Georgia Operations

Ten Far West cotton producers will see cotton and other agricultural operations in Georgia on Aug. 3-6 as part of the '15 NCC Producer Information Exchange program (PIE).

Sponsored by Bayer CropScience via a grant to The Cotton Foundation, the PIE program is now in its 27th year of helping its US cotton producer participants improve yields and fiber quality – and has exposed more than 1,100 U.S. cotton producers to innovative production practices in regions different than their own. Specifically, the program helps producers improve their overall farming operation efficiency by: 1) gaining new perspectives in such fundamental practices as land preparation, planting, fertilization, pest control, irrigation and harvesting and 2) observing firsthand the unique ways in which their peers are using current technology.

The tour participants are: Arizona – David Collins, Willcox; Alex Heiden, Buckeye; Jace Householder, Thatcher; and Daniel Pacheco, Oro Valley; California – Bob Bertao and Natasha Crivelli, both from Dos Palos; Derric Kirschenmann, Shafter; Mike Newton, Stratford; Jerry Salvador, Fresno; and Justin Sandlin, El Nido.

Following an orientation and overview on cotton production in the Southeast, these Far West producers will begin their Georgia tour on Aug. 3 with a tour of the 1888 Mills, LLC in Griffin to see cotton textile manufacturing, learn about the Georgia peach industry at Lane Packing Co. in Fort Valley, and then visit the Coley Gin and Fertilizer Co. in Vienna before touring cotton farms in that area.

The group will begin the next day's activities in Tifton where they will learn about peanut harvesting and tillage equipment at Kelley Manufacturing, see peanut handling/shelling at Tifton Quality Peanuts and learn about South Georgia vegetable production at Lewis Taylor Farms. That day's activities end with a visit to Bart Davis Farms in Doerun where the group will observe cotton and beef cattle production.

On Aug. 5, the group will travel to Albany for visits to the Miller Brewing Company for a presentation on automated machinery for product handling and to Thrush Aircraft for a look at agricultural aircraft manufacturing. Other activities that day include a look at Bayer CropScience's cotton agronomic performance trials near Plains; a presentation on cotton, peanut and grain production at RCL Farms in Bronwood; and tours of area cotton farms.

The tour concludes on Aug. 6 with a presentation on drip irrigation for cotton and peanut production at Southeastern Gin Company in Surrency and a look at cotton and tobacco production at the FMR Burch Farm in Screven.

This season's other P.I.E. tours had Southeast producers seeing California operations on July 13-16 and Mid-South producers touring Texas on July 27-30. Southwest producers are scheduled to visit Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi on Aug. 16-21.

Call For '16 BWCC Papers Issued

Preparations are underway for the '16 Beltwide Cotton Conferences (BWCC), set for Jan. 5-7 at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel.

Past BWCC presenters and attendees have been notified that the '16 BWCC's abstract submission process will be active on Aug. 3, and the forum will continue using Confex's online abstract system to handle presentation requests in any of the 11 technical conferences or the Consultants Conference. A short biographical sketch is necessary for "first authors" at the '16 BWCC.

More information about the '16 BWCC is on the Beltwide Cotton Conferences home page, www.cotton.org/beltwide/index.cfm.

Coordinated by the NCC and its cooperating partners, the BWCC speeds the transfer of new technology to US cotton producers and other industry members with the goal of strengthening US cotton's competitive position in the world marketplace and enhancing industry members' profitability.

Sales Weak, Shipments Steady

Net export sales for the week ending on July 23 were 26,200 bales (480-lb). This brings total '14-15 sales to approximately 11.8 million bales. Total sales at the same point in the '13-14 marketing year were approximately 11.1 million bales. Total new crop ('15-16) sales are 1.9 million bales.

Shipments for the week were 188,700 bales, bringing total exports to date to 11.0 million bales, compared with the 10.4 million bales at the comparable point in the '13-14 marketing year. With one week of data still to report in the marketing year, total exports to date already have reached the USDA projection of 11.0 million bales.

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