The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeks nominations of domestic cotton producers from Arizona, Georgia and Texas and importers of cotton and cotton-containing products for positions on the Cotton Board. The producers and importers will fill positions for seven members and seven alternates. USDA will appoint members and alternates to serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2027.
Certified producer organizations (CPOs) and certified importer organizations (CIOs) will hold caucuses to nominate two qualified persons for each open position in their respective industry segment.
Producer caucuses are scheduled as follows and all times are local times:
Arizona: Thursday, June 27 at 10 a.m.
Georgia: Monday, July 15 at 3 p.m.
Texas: Thursday, July 25 at 11 a.m.
An importers caucus is scheduled for Tuesday, July 9 at 10 a.m.
For nominating and caucus information, including organizations seeking certification and a list of CPOs and CIOs, contact Cotton Research and Promotion at (540) 361-2726 or [email protected].
More information is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Cotton Board webpage or on the Board’s website.
AMS policy is that diversity of the boards, councils and committees it oversees should reflect the diversity of their industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited to individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities, and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.
Since 1966, Congress has authorized industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight to 22 boards. The oversight ensures fiscal accountability and program integrity and is paid for by industry assessments.
PHOTO: Aerial view of a Large green Cotton picker working in a field. (Photo: iStock – liorpt)
