Cuts to agriculture in the 2012 farm bill: Is it back to square one?
Writing the new farm bill with a Republican House, a Democrat Senate, and the 2012 presidential election hanging over everything that goes on in Washington “is going to be a little crazy,” says Dale W. Moore, American Farm Bureau Federation deputy executive director of public policy.
Changes outlined for cotton classing system, procedures
Several changes have taken place in the USDA cotton classing system, according to Keith Maloney, area director of the classing office at Dumas, Ark. “As of June 27, the Washington headquarters was moved to the Memphis USDA cotton complex,” he said at recent area meetings of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association.
Compliance with labor rules important for ginners, farmers
Ginners and others who hire workers should be sure to comply with U.S. Department of Labor rules for salaries, overtime, bonuses, employment of migrant workers, and child labor. “We will be doing investigations this year to determine compliance,” says Eric Nash, investigator for the department’s Wage and Hour Division.
Millions of abandoned cotton acres in Texas dampening U.S. outlook
“It looks like Texas is turning into a desert state,” says Carl G. Anderson, and the ongoing severe drought will have an adverse impact on what had promised to be a huge cotton production year. “At this time,' he says, "I’d estimate that 3 million of the 7.1 million acres planted this season will be abandoned — the largest abandonment since 1981.”
