MEMPHIS – National Cotton Council Chairman
Kenneth Hood said today the U.S. cotton industry is pleased that the
House/Senate Farm Bill Conferees reached an agreement on the budget
allocation between the commodity titles.
"This is an
important step that moves the conference process toward completion
of a farm bill for the 2002 crop and beyond," the Gunnison, MS,
producer said.
Hood’s statement was in response to
yesterday’s announcement by the Conference’s lead negotiators --
Representatives Larry Combest (R-TX) and Charlie Stenholm (D-TX) and
Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) – that an
agreement had been reached on the needed framework to speed
negotiations for early April completion of the House-Senate
Conference Report on a farm bill that fits within the $73.5 billion,
agreed-upon 10-year structure.
"We believe the spending
authority between titles is balanced and fairly allocated," Hood
said, "and the $46 billion for the commodity provisions will allow
sufficient funds to provide for an improved safety net similar to
what was approved in the House version of the farm bill."
Gaylon Booker, NCC president and chief executive officer,
said U.S. cotton’s central organization also is encouraged that
conference committee leadership instructed staff to develop
consensus between the two bills with the goal of having a potential
bill for consideration by the conferees when they return April
9.
Hood emphasized that now that the conferees have reached
an agreement on the budget guidelines, the NCC will continue to
press for inclusion of the industry’s priorities in the final
package.
"That includes working for a bill that does not
contain unnecessary and damaging provisions that would further limit
payments or target benefits," Hood said.
The Memphis-based
NCC has a mission of ensuring the ability of all U.S. cotton
industry segments to compete effectively and profitably in the raw
cotton, oilseed and manufactured product markets at home and
abroad.