But he added that he has assigned Rebecca Nemec Boehm, a senior economist on his immediate staff, to study “the retail side.” According to her official USDA biography, Nemec Boehm “has expertise in how domestic food and agriculture policy impacts U.S. agricultural producers. She also serves as principal investigator for one of USDA’s Policy Research Centers.” Cotton and oil prices have moved together. When oil prices get too high, cotton is used as a replacement for oil, he said.