Cotton Program

Pandemic Assistance for Cotton Merchandisers

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 requires the Secretary to make pandemic assistance available to cotton merchandisers impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and other supply chain impacts from March 1, 2020, to December 29, 2022.

On August 3, 2023, AMS published a Notice of Funds Availability in the Federal Register outlining the program. 

Please complete the PACM-1, Pandemic Assistance for Cotton Merchandisers Application for Payment (pdf) and upload the data file to Box.

The data file for the application must be a comma-separated values file in the format below:

  • Permanent Bale Identification Number. Numeric. 12 characters.
  • Crop Year. Numeric. 4 characters. 
  • Shipment Date. Date. MM/DD/YYYY. 
  • Shipping Identifier. String. 40 character maximum.
    • Shipping Mark
    • Bill of Lading

Helpful Resources

WCMD held an informational webinar to describe the PACM Program and submission requirements on August 10. View the recording, as well as the slides, a Fact Sheet, a Sample CSV, and FAQ Document.

Questions may be directed to the PACM team at PACM@usda.gov

Upland Cotton Economic Adjustment Assistance for Textile Mills

The Food Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Act) initiates a program whereby payments will be made to eligible participants. The Regulations and Agreement (enclosed) set forth the terms and conditions under which the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) will make payments.  

List of Participants Earning Payments

Extra Long Staple Cotton

Special Competitive Provisions for Extra Long Staple Cotton

The Special Competitive Provisions for Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton, also known as Pima cotton, began in the fall of 1999 to help domestic mills and exporters to: (1) maintain and expand the domestic use of ELS cotton produced in the United States; (2) increase exports of U.S. ELS cotton; and (3) ensure that U.S.-produced ELS cotton remains competitive in world markets.

Payments are available when (1) for a consecutive 4-week period, the world market price for the lowest priced competing growth of ELS cotton (adjusted to U.S. quality and location) is below the prevailing U.S. price for a competing growth of ELS cotton; and (2) the lowest priced competing growth of ELS cotton (adjusted to U.S.  quality and location) is less than 113 percent of the loan rate for ELS cotton. The payment rate, whether zero or greater than zero, is announced by a rate report every Thursday in Washington, D. C., for the following Friday through Thursday, which is also known as the rate week. To be eligible for payment, Domestic Users and Exporters are required to sign an agreement and comply with all rules and regulations of the ELS cotton program.

  • CRD-05-01 (pdf) - Through Bills of Lading from the Port of Memphis, Tennessee 

Additional Resources

Contact Information 

Warehouse and Commodity Management Division
Mail Stop 9148, P. O. Box 419205
Kansas City, Missouri 64141-6205
Telephone: 816-926-6474
Fax: 844-930-0174
E-Mail: EAAP.ELS@usda.gov

Express Mail Address:

Warehouse and Commodity Management Division
Mail Stop 9148
2312 East Bannister Rd
Kansas City, Missouri 64131-3011
Office Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.