Mr. John Maguire

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  southeastfarmpress.com/legislation/011008-farm-legislat - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/10/2008    Last Visited: 1/10/2008  

  If none of those options pan out, Congress may have to extend current law beyond March 15, "with or without modifications," said John Maguire, National Cotton Council senior vice-president for Washington operations.
  
  Maguire, speaking at the opening session of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in Nashville, said the Bush Administration's reasons for vetoing bills currently up for conference review include budget concerns and a tax off-set of $7.5 billion.The administration also claims current proposals do not provide adequate reform, especially for adjusted gross income limits.
  
  Timing may be a critical factor, Maguire said."Conferees have set an early February target for a conference report.With these complex bills, that's ambitious."
  
  Farmers with winter wheat and spring planted crops need to know what to expect as soon as possible, Maguire said.
  
  He said the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 was "universally praised by farmers," many of whom would prefer to extend that law with some modifications."But the law was criticized from the first day it was signed," Maguire said."And cotton was singled out as needing major reform."
  
  He said criticism included unfounded claims that the U.S. cotton program was responsible for the demise of the West African cotton industry."It was wrongly criticized as too expensive and as a stimulus to over-production and persistently low prices."
  
  He cited other claims, including the high cost of the cotton program and for being "out of balance with other commodity programs.He said critics claimed the cotton program built excessive stocks and potential forfeitures as well as a failure "to adjust to new market realities."
  
  Brazil's cotton case also resulted in adverse decisions for the U.S. cotton industry.And the DOHA round calls for more expeditious and more ambitious results from (the U.S. cotton program).
  
  Maguire said budget concerns pose a serious obstacle for maintaining the current level of cotton support."The budget baseline for commodities is 42 percent below 2002," he said."Budget resolutions included contingency funds but no real dollars."
  
  And fewer dollars have to support more programs, including specialty crops, an energy title, and a permanent disaster program."With renewable fuels programs driving commodity prices, there is less concern about traditional farm programs."
  
  Maguire recapped the long process that Congress and USDA has taken to craft a farm bill.It started back in 2005 with USDA hearings across the farm belt.House and Senate hearings followed.
  
  Maguire said the administration offered its own proposal, including a $200,000 adjusted gross income limit for payments.
  
  The industry's response included a proposal to maintain key components of the current program, including a market loan, direct payments and the target price.
  
  "We addressed criticism by promoting inclusion of industry's 14 point plan to enhance market orientation and competitiveness and to improve flow to market and assist domestic manufacturers."
  
  Maguire said maintaining the status quo on payment limits "was not an option.We need a reasonable alternative to more draconian proposals."
  
  The House passed a bill July 27, with 19 Republicans in support.The Senate suffered through many delays and multiple plans before passing a bill last fall, 79 to 14.
  
  As the conference committee hammers out a compromise, Maguire said they have to look at several areas of disagreement.
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  Maguire said cotton faces several challenges through 2008 and beyond.Chief among those is the economy.Elections and resulting changes in leadership positions will affect agriculture.China and India's effect on world commodity markets will also affect U.S. cotton.Other challenges include the value of the dollar, rising input costs, renewable fuels competition for acres and the resulting effect on infrastructure and rural economies, resolution of the Brazil cotton case, progress of DOHA, and Canada's challenge to all U.S. programs.
  
  Maguire said informal discussions have begun with full conference hearings still "a few weeks away."

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  southwestfarmpress.com/farmbill/bill-details-00703/inde - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/25/2009    Last Visited: 8/25/2009  

  Farmers have the option each year to sign up for ACRE, but once they do the decision is irrevocable, said John Maguire, National Cotton Council senior vice president, Washington Operations.
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  Maguire said the basic structure of the new farm law is in place but the Farm Service Agency still must write the regulations to implement the law.
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  Maguire said with floods in Iowa and an election year ad hoc disaster may be possible this year.
  
  He said the new farm law consists of two elements, a program for 2008 and another for 2009 through 2012.
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  Maguire said payment limit changes included in the new law may be "more important to cotton than to grain and oilseed.
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  The test has two triggers, Maguire said, a non-farm income test and a farm income test. For non-farm income, if an entity or individual earns an average of more than $500,000 in adjusted non-farm income during the three years prior to the year preceding the applicable year, the individual or entity is ineligible for any commodity payments for the year.
  
  The farm, ranch and forestry income (FRF) test decrees that if an individual or entity earns an average of more than $750,000 in adjusted FRF income during the three years prior to the year preceding the applicable year, the individual or entity is ineligible for direct payments for the year.
  
  Maguire said the limitations may have more implications than people realize. He also suggested that a farmer and spouse might choose to have their CPA figure income as if they would file income tax returns separately.
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  "Almost all conservation programs were enhanced," Maguire said, "But they come with a new means test.
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  Most cotton trade is in the Far East now, Maguire said.
  
  The warehouse location differential has been eliminated for cotton loan rates. Maguire said since most U.S. cotton is now exported, proximity to a port has become more important than proximity to a mill.
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  Maguire said a non-recourse loan is the key to the program.

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  www.plainscotton.org/PCG2009AnnualMeeting.php - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 4/3/2009    Last Visited: 4/11/2009  

  John McGuire, National Cotton Council Vice President Washington Operations

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  www.kerwestnewspapers.com/p104.htm - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 5/4/2007    Last Visited: 5/4/2007  

  NCC staff officers for 2007 include: Dr. Mark Lange, NCC president/chief executive officer; John Maguire, senior vice president, Washington Operations; Allen Terhaar, vice president, Foreign Affairs; Dr. Gary Adams, vice president, Economics and Policy Analysis; Craig Brown, vice president, Producer Affairs; Dr. Bill Norman, vice president, Technical Services; Harrison Ashley, vice president, Ginner Services; and Fred Johnson, vice president, Administration and Program Coordination.

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  southwestfarmpress.com/cotton/cotton-trade-0817/ - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/25/2009    Last Visited: 8/25/2009  

  John Maguire, Senior Vice President for Washington Operations for the National Cotton Council, told the joint summer meeting of the American Cotton Producers and the Cotton Foundation yesterday in Nashville that the WTO compliance panel could announce a ruling on damages as early as August 31.
  
  "We have been disappointed in the mindset of the WTO regarding cotton subsidies," Maguire said. The panel objectives include the finding that the United States is out of compliance and that they will award damages to Brazil.
  
  Just what those damages might entail and how deep they will go is uncertain but Maguire said the council is preparing for all possible outcomes.
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  What's more likely, Maguire said, is for Brazil to ask for cross retaliation and go after intellectual property rights. They also could impose tariffs on U.S. products but that would hurt their own trade.
  
  If intellectual property rights become an issue, Maguire said cotton may find "more friends at the table. New parties in the dispute could include electronics manufacturers, the motion picture industry and others.
  
  He said the United States has asked for a new compliance panel and asked that they evaluate the case based on current conditions, from 1999 through 2005.
  
  He said other scenarios may emerge from the Brazil case, including further program adjustments and legislative and administrative changes. "We are preparing for that. We're doing briefings on the hill and trying to shape the response from the administration, Congress and the private sector.
  
  Maguire said the council communicates frequently with the U.S. trade representative office, USDA and the State Department.
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  Maguire said the council expects other responses, especially if Brazil gets cross retaliation as part of the damages decision.
  
  Other trade issues concern Africa's continued demands "stirred up by the Europeans," that governments should reduce poverty in Africa by targeting the U.S. cotton program. "We were able to get some of the NCC facts to (U.S.) presenters," Maguire said.
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  Maguire said some U.S. trade spokesmen have also taken a harder line on Africa's demands that the U.S cotton industry should be changed to improve their ability to compete. "Ambassador Kirk said it is a 'horrible strategy to single out one industry in one country.'"
  
  Maguire also said the ambassador told C4 delegations that it was up to Africa to address strategies, government and corruption and that "the ball is now in Africa's court."
  
  "That's a positive sign," Maguire said. "We hope it sticks."
  
  He said food security will be a big issue in Africa and Asia. Help will go through AID. "USDA is gearing up. Maguire said focus on food security cold take some pressure off cotton.
  
  Efforts to restart the Doha round of trade talks also are ramping up with 2010 a completion target.
  
  He said potential WTO non compliance issues with cotton exist in both China and India. China has instituted registration and performance standards that have become "a market access issue," Maguire said.
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  A few potential pieces of trade legislation also could affect U.S. cotton, Maguire said. Reauthorization of The Customs Facilitation and Enforcement Act encourages customs to be more proactive on enforcement.
  
  Maguire said expansion of the trade preference program is often brought up when countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia ask for preferential trade status. "They are capable of competing on their own."
  
  A trade policy also permits opportunity zones in certain regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan duty free access to U.S. markets. "That usually translates into textile products," Maguire said. But some textile products are more sensitive to markets than others, denim, for instance, and those products are not included on the list.
  
  A law passed three years included excluded products. But manufacturers asked that products be expanded, Maguire said, which would give them access to cheap goods.

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  www.cottonfarming.com/home/2008_FebCF-Beltwide.html - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/1/2008    Last Visited: 2/23/2008  

  John Maguire, NCC vice president of Washington operations, reported on the timetable for when the conference committee will iron out details and send the bill to the President for his signature or even veto.
  
  Maguire says that the House and Senate commodity titles included provisions that were recommended by NCC leaders to improve market orientation, competitiveness, while offering some kind of assistance to U.S. textile manufacturers.
  
  Maguire, however, warned that even with the inclusion of these important components, there will likely be significant changes in payment rules and regulations.Both the House and Senate bills eliminate the three-entity rule while allowing spouses to qualify as separate persons for payment limits.
  
  While the NCC has joined other commodity organizations in urging prompt passage of the bill, it could be early February before work is finished.Maguire says Acting Ag Secretary Charles Conner, speaking for the Bush Administration, has said the President may veto the bill because it fails to achieve needed reform.
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  "Council leaders will continue to work closely with Congressional leaders to make sure that the new legislation includes provisions that allow the industry to adjust to new market conditions," Maguire added.

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  oklahomafarmreport.com/wire/emails/media/1953656688_Okl - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 4/6/2009    Last Visited: 9/11/2009  

  -- Don't Mess With the 2008 Farm Law- Except to Implement It- John Maguire of the National Cotton Council -- The Lady Who Has Dried Out Oklahoma- La Niña.
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  Don't Mess With the 2008 Farm Law- Except to Implement It- John Maguire of the National Cotton Council
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  Maguire told the group that after a lengthy and arduous debate, the current farm law introduced significant commodity program changes while maintaining an important safety net for production agriculture along with enhanced conservation and nutrition programs. He said - the 2008 farm law includes the most comprehensive and far-reaching reform to payment limitations since 1987.
  
  In addition, Maguire reminded attendees that the cotton program will receive additional attention with the expected conclusion of the arbitration phase of the Brazil-U.S. dispute in the World Trade Organization. Maguire said the U.S. cotton industry believes that Brazil's damage claims are overstated.

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  oklahomafarmreport.com/wire/emails/media/1953656688_Okl - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 4/6/2009    Last Visited: 9/11/2009  

  John Maquire, the senior vice president of Washington Operations for the National Cotton Council, told the Plains Cotton Growers Association's annual meeting in Lubbock, Texas, the NCC is aggressively emphasizing to USDA that the agency should implement the farm bill fairly and according to Congressional intent.

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  www.cottonfarming.com/home/2009_MarCF-TCGA-PCGMeeting.h - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/1/2009    Last Visited: 3/15/2009  

  Joining Dr. Catlett on the program will be John Maguire, senior vice president, Washington operations for the National Cotton Council of America, and Alan Terhaar, executive director of Cotton Council International.
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  In his role as chief lobbyist for the U.S. cotton industry in Washington, Maguire has more than 20 years of experience navigating the political landscape of Washington on behalf of the U.S. cotton industry. Maguire has been asked to discuss the current political climate in Washington relative to agriculture and trade and to update the PCG membership on the status of 2008 Farm Bill implementation efforts.

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  www.cottonfarming.com/home/2008_SeptCF-Ginners.html - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 1/1/2008    Last Visited: 9/9/2008  

  Other presentations during the SCGA's general session included remarks from National Cotton Council senior vice president John Maguire, Cotton Incorporated vice president Mike Watson, Texas cottonseed market specialist Austin Rose, Georgia ag labor specialist Ann Margaret Pointer and Louisiana State University ag researcher Matt Fannin.

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