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May 27, 2016
 

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PAST ISSUES/ARCHIVES
 
Cotton's Week: March 22, 2024
Cotton's Week: March 15, 2024
Cotton's Week: March 8, 2024
Cotton's Week: March 1, 2024
 
 


 
Farm Structure Recording Deadline Extended

USDA Secretary Vilsack announced a one-time, 30-day extension of the June 1 status date for producers to record their farm organization structure related to the “Actively Engaged in Farming” determinations. The USDA release regarding the announcement is at http://1.usa.gov/1ORQEO7.

Farm organizations now have until July 1 to complete any necessary restructuring and finalize their operational changes before reporting that information to their local Farm Service Agency office. This information is used to determine an individual’s eligibility for farm programs under the new “actively engaged” rules that went into effect in late ’15, as a result of the ’14 farm law.

The NCC, along with dozens of other national, regional, and state farm and commodity organizations, requested an extension until the end of ’16 in a letter to Secretary Vilsack in early May. While a longer extension was preferred, the NCC appreciates USDA’s extension to July 1 as it does provide producers some much needed relief in meeting this important program deadline.

 
Bill Passed to Reduce Duplicative Pesticide Regulations

The House passed the Zika Vector Control Act (H.R. 897) by a 258-156 vote, with all Republicans and 23 Democrats voting in support.

H.R. 897, which was received in the Senate and is awaiting action, would prevent EPA from requiring National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits for any pesticides that already are authorized for sale, distribution or use under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.

The NCC, along with other agricultural groups that do not see the need for pesticides to be regulated under two separate sets of rules, fully support H.R. 897. Rep. Gibbs (R-OH) explained that lifting these pesticide regulations not only would reduce burdens for farmers but also make it easier to combat mosquitos to control the Zika virus.

Rep. Gibbs has been pushing for this legislation since Oct. ’11 when a federal appeals court made pesticide applications subject to Clean Water Act permits. He originally introduced this bill, which passed in the House last year under the name, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act.

 
Comments Submitted on Dicamba Label Approval

The NCC submitted comments on EPA’s notice “Dicamba: New Use on Herbicide-Tolerant Cotton and Soybeans.” The comments, at www.cotton.org/issues/2016/dicco.cfm, convey the NCC’s full support for the registration of Monsanto’s dicamba formulations for use on USDA deregulated dicamba-tolerant cotton, while underscoring the importance of effective weed management needed for successful cotton production.

After reviewing the supplemental label for use, the NCC urged EPA to reconsider/clarify the following provisions that are of concern: 1) no other herbicide tank mix restriction; 2) the precedent set with the exclusion of Wilson County, TN, and Palm Beach County, FL; 3) the EPA-approved adjuvants list; 4) the statement concerning the management of weeds in and around the field; 5) application equipment and techniques that should restrict aerial application for “Cotton” [now stated “Soybeans”] on page six; 6) restrictions regarding only one legal application nozzle; 7) buffer from all field edges; and 8) sensitive crop registries requirements.

The comments emphasize that producers have been awaiting a label approval for dicamba since early ’15; however, EPA has failed to meet its projected timelines. Cotton requires more intense weed management than many other crops, so it is imperative that producers have a diverse set of herbicides with different modes of action to fight resistant weeds and to prevent new resistances from developing.

The NCC urged EPA to register this dicamba formulation, thus enabling producers to take full advantage of deregulated dicamba and glufosinate-tolerant cotton varieties without delay.

 
Final Rule on Overtime Issued

The US Dept. of Labor (DOL) published a final rule, which updates the Fair Labor Standards Act overtime regulations regarding the executive, administrative and professional exemptions. The final rule, at www.cotton.org/issues/2016/upload/16otfinalrule.pdf, leaves in place the exemptions for outside sales and computer professional exemptions. DOL’s overview and summary of the rule is at www.cotton.org/issues/2016/upload/16otrulesumm.pdf.

Effective on Dec. 1, ’16, employers will be subject to the new overtime rules. To be ineligible for overtime, employees must be paid a predetermined fixed salary of at least $913 per week ($47,476 per year). If the employee’s salary does not meet this threshold, the employee must be paid overtime for any hours worked over 40 hours per week. While the rule makes no changes in the duties test, employers must ensure all employees have been properly classified according to the actual duties they perform. If an employee does not meet the salary basis test and does not perform executive, administrative or professional duties, as defined in DOL regulations, the employee will be eligible for overtime.

The new salary requirements will be automatically increased every three years beginning on Jan. 1, ’20, to prevent the requirements from becoming outdated. The DOL also provides that certain highly compensated employees are not eligible for overtime. The minimum highly compensated salary will increase from $100,000 from $134,004.

The DOL’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on overtime, published in July ’15, received more than 270,000 comments. The proposed rule called for a base salary level of $50,440 per year ($970 per week) and annual automatic increases. 

In response to the overtime rule proposal, lawmakers introduced the Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act (S.2707/H.R. 4773), legislation that would require the DOL to perform a deeper analysis of the impacts that changes to overtime regulations have on small businesses, nonprofits, regional economies, local governments, academic institutions and others.

 
NACD Conducting Conservation Planning Survey

In an effort to improve conservation planning services for farmers and ranchers, the National Assoc. of Conservation Districts (NACD) is conducting an online survey of farmers and ranchers. NACD is an important partner with the NCC for improving conservation planning and programs.

The survey’s specific purpose is to obtain feedback on ways to strengthen the delivery of conservation planning assistance to landowners. A conservation plan is an important tool for producers to use as the basis for implementing conservation programs on their operation.

July 1 is the deadline for participating in the survey. Respondents are asked to identify aspects of the planning process they value and those aspects in which the partnership is doing a good job, along with those aspects that need improvement. About 8-12 minutes is needed to complete the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/NCPPsurvey2. Survey responses will be confidential, and all background information will be used for statistical purposes only.

 
’16 PIE Program Tour Dates Set

The NCC has set tour dates and locations for the '16 Producer Information Exchange (PIE) Program.

The PIE program provides US cotton producers with the opportunity to maximize production efficiency and improve yields and fiber quality by: 1) gaining new perspectives in such fundamental practices as land preparation, planting, fertilization, pest control, irrigation and harvesting; and 2) observing diverse farming practices and the unique ways their innovative peers have adopted new and existing technology.

This season, Mid-South producers will visit agricultural operations in North Carolina and South Carolina on July 17-22; Southeast producers will see operations in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee on July 24-29; Southwest producers will tour California's San Joaquin Valley on July 31-Aug. 5; and Western producers will observe operations in two of Texas' cotton production regions on Aug. 14-19.

 
Cotton Day Festivities Sweep Asia

COTTON USA’s recent Cotton Days in Asia united the consumers who love cotton with the media and local textile industries in four key consumer markets—Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

The annual Cotton Days, timed with the beginning of the US cotton planting season, feature celebrity spokespeople, fashion shows, music and cotton-centric innovation.

Cotton Council International President Keith Lucas emphasized three key advantages of US cotton at each Cotton Day event: the fiber’s high quality, responsible production and the US cotton industry’s full support to the supply chain.

 
Sales Steady, Shipments Strong

Net export sales for the week ending on May 19 were 149,600 bales (480-lb). This brings total ’15-16 sales to approximately 8.9 million bales. Total sales at the same point in the ’14-15 marketing year were approximately 11.2 million bales. Total new crop (’16-17) sales are 1.4 million bales.

Shipments for the week were 262,300 bales, bringing total exports to date to 6.9 million bales, compared with the 8.9 million bales at the comparable point in the ’14-15 marketing year.

 

 
Effective May 27-June 2, ’16

Adjusted World Price, SLM 11/16

 51.50 cents

*

Fine Count Adjustment ('15 Crop)

0.00 cents


Fine Count Adjustment ('16 Crop)

 0.00 cents


Coarse Count Adjustment

  0.00 cents


Marketing Loan Gain Value

 0.50 cents


Import Quotas Open

13

 
Special Import Quota (480-lb bales)

839,565


ELS Payment Rate

0.00 cents


*No Adjustment Made Under Step I

 
Five-Day Average

Current 5 Lowest 13/32 CFR Far East

69.23 cents


Forward 5 Lowest 13/32 CFR Far East

NA


Fine Count CFR Far East

 71.33 cents

 
Coarse Count CFR Far East

NA


Current US 13/32 CFR Far East

70.05 cents


Forward US 13/32 CFR Far East

NA