The National Cotton Council (NCC) lauds the work of the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity that was presented to President Trump this week.
The task force was formed following the signing of an Executive Order by President Trump in 2017.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue served as chairman of the task force which identified more than 100 recommendations to help improve life in rural America. These recommendations centered around five areas: E-Connectivity, Quality of Life, Rural Workforce, Technology and Economic Development.
Among specific recommendations were: ensuring access to a lawful agricultural workforce; increasing acceptance of biotech products around the world; developing a streamlined, science-based regulatory policy for biotechnology; helping rural businesses have access to capital; rebuilding and modernizing rural America’s infrastructure; cutting red tape; and increasing access to global markets.
NCC Chairman Ronnie Lee, a Georgia cotton producer, said, “It is encouraging to see that at the highest levels of our government, President Trump and Secretary Perdue, along with other Cabinet members, recognize the struggles we see every day in rural America. Not only do they acknowledge these struggles – they have charted a path forward to address them and help ensure a bright future for rural America that will allow us to continue clothing and feeding the world.”
The Task Force’s report is at http://bit.ly/2qC3NKE.