Georgia Cotton Commission Pleased to See Help for Producers

Randall Weiseman Cotton, Field Crops, Georgia, Industry News Release

Richey Seaton

Richey Seaton

We’ve been talking over the past few months how the cotton industry has been working with Congress and USDA to find ways to help address the significant challenges facing the U.S. cotton industry. And Georgia Cotton Commission’s Executive Director Richey Seaton says on Monday, USDA announced they will be providing an estimated $300 million in cost-share assistance payments to cotton producers through the new Cotton Ginning Cost-Share program.


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To read more about the new Cotton Ginning Cost-Share program, click here.

From the Georgia Cotton Commission:

On June 6th, 2016, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack launched the Cotton Ginning Cost-Share Program to provide assistance to American cotton producers. This one-time cost-share payment will be to assist growers who have faced adverse market conditions over the past several years. The Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) applauds the Secretary on implementing this new program.

GCC Chairman Mike Lucas, a Bleckley County producer, said “We thank Secretary Vilsack for recognizing the current economic situation for cotton producers. This cost-share payment will benefit many of our growers here in Georgia that are currently struggling to stay in business.”

Lucas also noted that USDA’s recognition of the world market conditions, resulting from the surplus cotton stocks held in China, as positive. “We’ve being saying for several years now that American cotton producers can compete with any other cotton producers in the world, we just want a fair playing field,” says Lucas.

Cotton Ginning Cost-Share Program payments will be based on 40% of the average ginning cost for each production region of the country. For Georgia, producers are eligible for a $47.44 per acre payment based on cotton acres reported to USDA-FSA for the 2015 crop year.

For more information please visit www.GeorgiaCottonCommission.org.