Cottonseed is not an oilseed according to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who said he does not have the legal authority to change the designation under the 2014 Farm Bill.
Farmers wanted cottonseed to be considered an oilseed in order to apply for safety net programs provided to growers of soybeans, sesame and canola seeds, which are considered "other oilseeds." Currently, cottonseed is covered by the Stacked Income Protection Plan but not the Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage programs.
The National Cotton Council plans to continue efforts to receive the oilseed designation as it believes the U.S. Department of Agriculture has the ability to change the designation.
The cottonseed industry is continuing its efforts after a rocky 2015 for the U.S. cotton market. The industry’s leaders and experts believe the designation would have a tremendous impact on the industry after experiencing a year of falling demand, falling prices and an increase in foreign competition.
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