The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeks nominations of domestic cotton producers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, and importers of cotton and cotton-containing products for positions on the Cotton Board. The producers and importers will fill positions for 17 members and 17 alternates. USDA will appoint members and alternates to serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2022.
Certified producer organizations (CPO) and certified importer organizations (CIO) 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:
- Alabama: Monday, July 15 at 3:20 p.m.
- Florida: Monday, July 15 at 2:45 p.m.
- Georgia: Monday, July 15 at 3:45 p.m.
- Kansas: Friday, July 19 at 10:00 a.m.
- Missouri: Tuesday, July 30 at 12:00 p.m.
- New Mexico: TBD
- Oklahoma: Thursday, July 18 at 11:00 a.m.
- South Carolina: Monday, July 15 at 3:05 p.m.
- Tennessee: Thursday, August 1 at 12:00 p.m.
- Texas: Wednesday, July 17 at 11:00 a.m.
- Virginia: Monday, July 15 at 2:55 p.m.
An importers caucus is scheduled for Tuesday, July 16 at 10 a.m. ET in Washington, D.C.
For nominating and caucus information, including organizations seeking certification and a list of CPOs and CIOs, contact Shethir M. Riva at (540) 361-2726 or email Shethir.Riva@ams.usda.gov.
The cotton research and promotion program is authorized by the Cotton Research and Promotion Act of 1966. Since 1966, Congress has authorized 22 industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
More information is available on the Cotton Board page on the AMS website, or on the board’s website, www.cottonboard.org.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender