One of the issues we’ve gotten a number of calls for in the past several months is regarding emails or letters from USDA Warehouse Division regarding BMAS Reports and the 4.5% shipping standard. We’ve been working the National Cotton Council and USDA on this issue and we’ll have more detailed comments at our state meetings in the next few weeks.

In the mean time, one of the issues that warehouse operators have mentioned to me is that their listed capacity is much greater than the bales they’ve been storing. Your 4.5% flow requirement is based off this larger capacity. Our reduced acres over the past several years have reduced the maximum number of bales many warehouses have or will have during the year but are being held to a much higher shipping standard than actually ginning or storing.

Ian Edmonds and the staff at USDA has worked with the NCC Staff to put together the attached document. It explains the process for reducing (or increasing) your capacity at the warehouse. Remember the effective capacity is the higher of your licensed capacity or your highest bales stored.

Please refer to the attached document. Click on the picture and download the page for instructions on updating your capacity with the warehouse division.

DSF