Welcome to the June 14, 2024 issue of Cotton News, a service provided by Plains Cotton Growers Inc. for the cotton industry in the Texas High Plains and beyond.
Putting “Farm” Back in the Farm Bill
Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, unveiled the Senate GOP framework for the 2024 Farm Bill on June 11, 2024.
Following the Chairman’s mark of the 2024 Farm Bill on May 23, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) sought to maintain farm bill momentum by unveiling his proposed framework June 11.
Boozman’s proposal aligns closely with the House bill and includes increasing crop reference prices, expanding base acres, strengthening conservation and nutrition, and limiting the Secretary of Agriculture’s authority over the Commodity Credit Corporation, to name a few.
A long-time dedicated advocate for U.S. farmers and ranchers, Boozman is insistent that “more farm be put in the farm bill.”
According to Senate Ag GOP analysis, the lack of funding in Title I of the 2018 Farm Bill was the catalyst behind the ad hoc disaster assistance paid out over the last six years.
Boozman stressed that more funding is needed for the farm safety net, which he says is taken care of in his bill.
“From the onset of this process, we have sought to draft a farm bill that reflects the needs of stakeholders, Boozman said. “The world has changed dramatically since the 2018 bill became law, and the unprecedented challenges and economic uncertainty that farmers face now are only projected to get worse in the coming years.”
We hope lawmakers will seriously consider the farm bill proposal from Senate Ag GOP and work together to create a bipartisan bill that protects our farmers and ranchers, thereby strengthening our industries and economies. We will continue to provide updates as we work toward finalizing a robust farm policy in 2024.
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“2024 Alternative Crop Options After Failed Cotton and Late-Season Crop Planting for the Texas South Plains” Report Now Available
The primary objectives of this guide include providing producers with:
- Guidelines for crop replant options after failed crops, especially cotton.
- Assist with late-season planting decisions where timely planting, duration to crop maturity, and fall weather risk may impact successful cropping.
- Provide contractor contact information as well as recent approximate pricing, particularly for crops where price is fixed at contract signing.
- This information is applicable as well for the Texas Panhandle, Texas Rolling Plains, and the Concho Valley region. The planting dates will change for crop and location.
New information/What has changed since 2022?
Additions or significantly revised points include:
2024
- Comments on Enlist cotton and plant-back restrictions.
- The last recommended planting date for guar has been moved forward five days due to the need to plant earlier for a better chance at full maturity especially to help achieve better test weight to minimize a discount.
2023
- Guar Resources, Brownfield, TX, has reopened under a new owner and is contracting guar for 2023.
- “Sugarcane aphid” is in fact actually the sorghum aphid. Genetic tests confirm this. What we have known as SCA is not a new biotype. Management recommendations do not change with this new identification.
- The ethanol plant in Hockley Co. is reopened in fall 2023 giving local grain sorghum growers an additional potential and competitive market.
- Grain sorghum replant options now include herbicide tolerant hybrids that enable grass control in existing sorghum crops.