An economic analysis of the cotton research and promotion program, final report

Abstract

The goal of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program is to expand the demand for upland cotton and to increase profitability for both cotton growers and importers of cotton products. In particular, both the Cotton Research and Promotion Act of 1966 and the Cotton Research and Promotion Amendment Acts of 1990 were designed to enhance the competitive position of U.S. upland cotton relative to man-made fibers. The purpose of this study is to assess how well the Program’s goals are being met. The cotton program is funded by a per-bale assessment on cotton produced in the U.S. and on the equivalent volume of cotton in imported products. The Cotton Board, a quasi-governmental, nonprofit entity that administers the program, collects and manages the revenues. The Cotton Research and Promotion Amendment Acts of 1990 require that the Cotton Board commission a study to be conducted every 5 years. Texas A&M University conducted the first of these studies (Capps et al., 1997), which focused on the program’s performance during the 5-year period 1991 through 1995. This study focuses on the period 1996 through 2000.