Arkansas Farm Leader, Boozman Agree: Must Build Domestic Demand for Agricultural Products

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) welcomed Arkansas farmer and National Cotton Council Chairman Nathan Reed to discuss opportunities to expand domestic demand for agricultural products.

"Expanding market access and developing new trading partners is crucial to the success of American producers and our rural communities. However, our recent experiences have made me think about how we can build more robust domestic markets that will not subject our producers to the whims of foreign governments," Boozman said in his opening remarks.

On Tuesday, Boozman launched the first in a series of hearings to gather recommendations from agriculture industry leaders on policy improvements to help boost consumption of American-grown products.

Reed, who grows cotton, corn, soybeans and rice on his Marianna farm, detailed the grim financial outlook for cotton farmers as a result of high input costs and low market prices while calling on Congress to pass the Buying American Cotton Act (BACA) to help drive demand.

"Our industry will not survive without stronger demand, and BACA would help position U.S. cotton to compete more effectively against synthetic fibers and against foreign cotton producers, including Brazil," Reed told committee members. "We believe the demand created through the passage of BACA will bring cotton markets back to a more profitable level for producers while keeping our domestic industry and supply chains thriving in the years to come."

Reed also applauded Boozman's leadership in delivering historic agricultural investments through the Working Families Tax Cuts and his continued push for additional economic assistance.

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