NCC calls to override President's veto of new farm bill
22 May '08
3 min read
The National Cotton Council called on Members of the House and Senate to promptly override the President's veto of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.
NCC Chairman Larry McClendon said, “While the legislation is not perfect, this new farm bill retains an effective safety net. Although prices for some commodities are currently at attractive levels, farmers are planting at a time of unprecedented increases in input costs with no commodity policy in place. In some areas, farmers will soon harvest crops for which there is no loan program in place.
“The bill's opponents have offered no viable alternatives after nearly two years of debate. There is simply no option but to override the veto and put predictable policy in place for farmers, lenders and rural communities.
Congress already has demonstrated its overwhelming support of the bill so the U.S. cotton industry urges all Representatives and Senators to vote to override. We all know prices are cyclical, and U.S. agriculture needs the certainty in policy that this bill will provide in order to make market oriented cropping and marketing decisions.”
In a letter to Congressional members, the NCC emphasized that the legislation includes many of the cotton industry's recommendations and priorities. Those will improve market orientation, competitiveness and flow to market plus provide important financial assistance to domestic textile manufacturers to spur investment and help maintain good paying jobs in an industry competing with heavily subsidized imports.