Former Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran, who chaired the Senate Agriculture and Senate Appropriations Committees during his 45 years in Congress, passed away Thursday. He was 81 years old.
Cochran was an outspoken advocate for Mississippi’s farmers, using his leadership roles to guide disaster assistance and economic development funds to the state.
Cochran was first elected to Mississippi’s Fourth Congressional District in 1972. He was elected to the Senate in 1978 before retiring during his seventh term in 2018. Cochran chaired the Senate Agriculture Committee from 2003-2004 and was Ranking Member from 2013-2014, serving as a key player in the writing of the 2014 Farm Bill. He was Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee from 2005-2006 and, again, from 2015-2016.
NCGA CEO Jon Doggett expressed the organization’s appreciation for Cochran’s contributions to agriculture and condolences to his loved ones.
COVID-19 Resources
NCGA is taking a series of actions to do our part to help contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the economic fallout it is creating for corn farmers and our customers. Short term, this means instituting policies to protect the health and safety of our stakeholders and the broader communities we serve. Long term, we’re focused on creating solutions to help corn farmers and our customers recover from the financial impacts of this crisis.
CommonGround
CommonGround is a group of farmers connecting with consumers through conversations about science and research and personal stories about food and misinformation surrounding farming. Supported by the NCGA and state corn organizations.
SHP
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health. Administered by NCGA the partnership has more than 220 working farms enrolled in 16 states. SHP’s mission is to utilize science and data to partner with farmers who are adopting conservation agricultural practices that improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the farm.
