The Role of the USDA Cotton Classification System and Certified Cotton Warehouses in the US Cotton Circulation System

摘要

The Cotton Program is part of the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service and is responsible for providing instrument and manual cotton classification on all cotton grown in the United States.The Cotton Program is also responsible for producing cotton standards,providing cotton market news information and providing oversight of cotton demand building programs through research and promotion.The Cotton Program is headquartered in Washington,DC with twelve field offices located from coast to coast in the southern U.S.Each of the twelve field cotton classing offices is responsible for providing cotton classification service in its respective cotton growing region.The office in Memphis,Tennessee serves as a field classing office and also as the base for field operations.The functions of cotton standards production,quality assurance,market news,information technology and administration are all carried out in Memphis.