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, Virginia, and importers of cotton and cotton-containing products for positions on the Cotton Board. The producers and importers will fill positions for 18 members and 18 alternates. USDA will appoint members and alternates to serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2025.
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:
- Alabama: Monday, July 18 at 2:45 p.m.
- Florida: Monday July 18 at 3:00 p.m.
- Georgia: Monday, July 18 at 3:15 p.m.
- Kansas: Friday, July 22 at 10:00 a.m.
- Missouri: Thursday, July 28 at 10:00 a.m.
- New Mexico: Monday, July 18th at 11:00 a.m.
- Oklahoma: Thursday, July 21 at 10:00 a.m.
- South Carolina: Monday, July 18 at 3:45 p.m.
- Tennessee: Friday, July 29 at 12:00 p.m.
- Texas: Wednesday, July 20 at 11:00 a.m.
- Virginia: Monday, July 18 at 4:00 p.m.
An importers caucus is scheduled for Tuesday, June 28 at 1:00 p.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 CottonRP@usda.gov.
More information is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service Cotton Board webpage or on the Board’s website.
Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of 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. AMS provides oversight of 22 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
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.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender